BT  1101  .R42  1885 
Redford,  R.  A.  1828-1906. 
Primer  of  Christian  evidenc 


I 


■  ■li 


>v' 


NORMAL  STUDIES  FOR  SUNDAY  SCHOOL  TEACHERS. 


PRIMER 

OF 


CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


_tv 


BY 


R.  A.  '^KEDFORD,  M.A.,  LL.B., 


TROFESSOK  OP  SYSTEMATIC  THEOLOGY  AND  APOLOGETICS,  NEAV  COLLEGE,  LONDON; 

AUTHOli  OF 

“  THE  CHRISTIAN’S  PLEA  AGAINST  MODERN  UNBELIEF,”  “  PROPHECY  :  ITS  NATURE  AND 
EVIDENCE,”  “THE  AUTHORITY  OF  SCRIPTURE,”  “STUDIES  IN  THE  BOOK  OP 

JONAH,”  ETC. 


PREPARED  UNDER  THE  DIRECTION  OF 
THE  INTERNATIONAL  NORMAL  COMMITTEE. 


BOSTON: 

^Congregational  5unliagi^cl)OoI  ant  ^ublisljing  ^ocictg, 

CONGREGATIONAL  HOUSE. 


American  Edition,  Copyrighted,  1885. 


PUBLISHERS’  NOTE. 


The  plates  of  the  Normal  Studies  for  Sunday-School  Teach¬ 
ers  have  been  purchased  by  the  Congregational  Sunday-School 
and  Publishing  Society,  from  the  London  Sunday-School  Union, 
together  with  the  right  to  publish  the  books,  so  fiir  as  that  right 
can  be  transferred.  The  officers  of  the  London  Sunday-School 

c/ 

Union,  in  their  communication  transferring  the  plates  to  the 
Congregational  Sunday-School  and  Publishing  Society,  declare 
that,  “so  far  as  this  Union  is  concerned,  we  shall  not  su2:»ply 
any  [dates  of  the  works  to  any  other  House  in  America ;  and, 
so  far  as  we  can,  we  shall  recognize  your  Society  as  being 
publishers  of  the  works  referred  to.” 

Various  revisions  and  additions  have  been  made  to  the  text; 
and  a  cojiyright  has  been  obtained  to  this  edition. 


CONTENTS. 


Limits  or  the  Work  •••  ... 

What  Christianity  is 

Chkistianity  the  Eeligion  or  Jesus  Christ 

Christianity  the  Religion  or  the  Bible 

Christianity  the  Religion  or  the  Christian  Church 

Christianity  the  Religion  or  the  Christian  Man 

How  Christianity  has  been  and  is  opposed 

What  the  Crrdentt^s  or  Christianity  are 

The  Credentials  or  Christianity  as  the  Religion  or  Jesus 
Christ  ... 

4 

The  Credentials  or  Christianity  as  the  Religion  or  the 

I BLE  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  ... 

The  Credentials  or  Christianity  as  the  Religion  or  the 
Christian  Church 

The  Credentials  or  Christianity  as  the  Religion  or  the 

Christian  Man  ...  ...  ...  ...  ... 

What  Christianity  is  to  the  World 

How  Christian  Evidences  should  be  studied  ... 

How  TO  teach  the  Old  Testament 


\ 


PAGB 

1 

2 

3 

5 

1 

9 

11 

17 

18 

29 

43 

54 

61 

70 

81 


f  «  • 


The  other  volumes  of  Normal  Studies  nov:  ready  are  as 

follows :  — 

THE  YOUNG  TEACHER:  An  Elementary  Handbook  of 
Sunday-school  Instruction.  By  Wm.  H.  Gkosek,  B.Sc., 
with  an  Introduction  by  J.  II.  Vincent,  D.D.  Price 
75  cts. 

Contents.  —  T.  The  Sunday  School,  its  Scope  and  Aims.  —  II. 
The  Chief  Qualifications  of  the  Sunday-school  Teacher.  -  HI.  Prin¬ 
ciples  of  Instruction,  and  their  Relation  to  Bible  Teaching. —IV. 
Methods  of  Instruction  :  their  Use  in  Bible  Teaching.  — V.  Bible  Les¬ 
sons,  and  Howto  Prepare  Them.  —  VI.  Class  Teaching.  — VII.  Class 
Management.  —  VIII.  Helps  and  Hinderances. 

THE  BIBLE:  THE  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  TEXT-BOOK. 
By  Alfred  Holborn,  M.  A.  Price  75  cts. 

Contents. — Introductory  letters  by  the  author  and  Rev.  A.  E. 
Dunning.  Evidences  of  the  Authenticity  and  Genuineness  of  the 
Bible  :  Formation  of  the  Canon  :  Characteristics  of  the  Books: 
Language  and  Style  of  Scripture:  Study  of  Scripture  with  Reference 
to  Sunday-school  Instruction  :  Means  of  Religious  Instruction  in 
the  Old  and  New  Testament :  The  Teaching  Process,  as  Exemplified 
in  the  Bible. 

Address  all  orders  to  the  Congregational  Sunday 
School  and  Publishing  Society,  corner  Beacon  and 
Somerset  Streets,  Boston. 


PRIMER 


OF 

CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 

— >o» 


Christian  Evidence  describes  tbe  arguments  which  are 
employed  in  support  of  Christianity.  It  should  be  clearly 
understood,  that,  when  Christians  undertake  to  meet 
those  who  doubt,  or  resist,  the  claims  which  are  made  on 
behalf  of  Christianity,  they  do  not  assume  that  they  can 
remove  every  difficulty  which  may  be  suggested  ;  as  that 
would  be  an  assumption  beyond  the  true  modesty  of  those 
who  remember  the  limitations  of  human  faculties  and  the 
nature  of  the  subject.  Neither  do  they  ignore  the  fact  that 
opposition  to  the  claims  of  religious  truth  may  proceed 
from  a  state  of  mind  which  is  itself  the  result  of  moral 
causes,  and  therefore  to  be  chiefly  removed  by  moral  and 
spiritual  means.  But  they  address  arguments  to  unbelievers, 
i.e.  to  those  who  demand  them  ;  as  meeting  them  on  their 
own  ground.  And  they  supply  believers  with  the  reasons 
which  support  their  faith  ;  that  they  may  both  believe 
more  firmly,  and  resist  the  influence  of  objectors,  whose 
words  are  sometimes  artfully  prepared  to  shake  confidence, 
even  where  they  cannot  overthrow  established  positions. 
Particular  and  fragmentary  objections  to  Christianity  are 
common.  A  general  assault  upon  the  whole  Christian 


B 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE, 


2 


system  is  rare.  We  are  best  prepared  against  the  kind 
of  opposition  whicb  is  now  prevalent  by  a  careful  and 
systematic  review  of  the  whole  circle  of  Christian  evidence. 

Arguments  in  support  of  Christianity  presuppose  that 
we  are  able  to  state  wTiat  Christianity  is,  and  what  is  the 
claim  which  it  makes  upon  the  human  mind.  There  is 
much  included  in  the  faith  of  Christians  which  is  not 
peculiar  to  Christianity ;  such  as  the  personal  existence  of 
God;  the  responsibility  of  Man  to  God;  the  existence 
of  the  soul  after  death;  the  reality  of  a  future  state  of 
rewards  and  punishments.  It  is  an  unfair  demand  to 
make  of  the  Christian  that  he  should  be  required  to  prove 
the  truth  of  all  that  lies  at  the  foundation  of  Religion. 
Some  of  the  primary  religious  beliefs  cannot  be  demon¬ 
strated,  any  more  than  the  primary  moral  beliefs  or  the 
primai^y  scientific  beliefs.  But  Christianity  has  grouped 
together  a  number  of  truths  which  hold  such  a  relation  to 
one  another  (as  they  are  presented  in  the  Christian  system) 
that  they  form  a  unity,  which  claims  to  be  received  as  of 
Divine  authority,  as  a  revelation  superseding  all  that  came 
before  it,  and  demanding  universal  acceptance.  It  is  not 
enough  to  argue  in  support  of  particular  truths  which  are 
included  in  Christianity.  Nor  is  it  our  aim  in  this  primer, 
to  take  the  Christianity  of  one  period  or  portion  of  Christen¬ 
dom,  as  representative,  exclusively,  of  what  Christianity  is. 
It  cannot  be  denied  that  some  of  the  truth  which  is  in 
Christianity  is  to  be  found  elsewhere  ;  nor  need  it  be  denied 
that,  during  the  Christian  history,  that  which  cannot  be 
supported  has  been  regarded  by  Christians  as  true.  The 
argument  concerns  nothing  but  Christianity  itself  and  its 
true  claims.  We  must,  then,  understand. 

What  Christianity  is. 

The  distinction  must  be  made  between  true  Christianity 
and  (i.)  Christianity  as  it  became  corrupted  into  Dcclesi- 


RELIGION  OF  JESUS  CHRIST. 


3 


astical  Christianity;  such  e.g.  as  the  ChristiRiiity  we  find 
in  the  writings  of  Church  fathers,  or  in  the  Roma7i  Catholic 
hierarchy,  or  in  the  dogmatic  theologians  of  the  posfc- 
Reformation  times,  (ii.)  Defective  Christianity,  such  as 
may  be  seen  exemplified  in  the  Unitarian  system,  or  any 
other  which  omits  from  its  doctrine  that  which  belongs 
to  the  vital  substance  of  the  Christian  religion. 

Several  points  must  be  recognized,  such  as  these : — 

1.  Christianity  took  its  rise  as  a  distinct  religion  at  a 
particidar  time. 

2.  While  it  embraced  much  that  was  already  taught, 
still  it  was  not  a  mere  development  either  out  of  Judaism 
or  out  of  Paganism. 

3.  It  existed  as  a  spiritual  force  and  practical  life  in 
the  world  before  the  systematic  teaching  of  it  commenced. 

4.  As  the  name  implies,  it  was  a  religion  which  pro¬ 
ceeded  from  a  person,  and  which  was,  as  a  whole,  a  personal 
product. 


Christianity  is  the  Religion  of  Jesus  Christ. 

History  proves  that  He  lived  in  Palestine.  The  existence 
of  Christians  can  be  traced  to  within  a  few  years  of 
the  date  of  His  death.  [See  page  17  on  the  Credentials  of 
Christianity.]  It  is  essential  to  Christianity  that  Jesus 
Christ,  in  Whom  it  commenced,  was  absolutely  unigue  in 
person,  character,  and  history.  In  person  :  He  was  at  the 
same  time  one  of  the  human  family  and  above  all  the  rest 
of  men  in  every  moral  and  spiritual  attribute,  sinless, 
absolutely  free  from  error,  possessed  of  Divine  knowledge; 
In  character :  a  spotless  example  of  all  those  virtues  which 
lift  up  and  ennoble  human  life  and  make  it  happy — 
truthfulness,  purity,  love,  self-sacrifice,  humility,  patience  ; 
In  history  :  an  entire  exception  to  the  universal  record  of 
the  past,  manifesting  Omnipotent  power  and  irresistible 


4 


/•RIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


force  of  will,  yet  “despised  and  rejected  of  men,”  “sujffering 
contradiction  of  sinners  against  Himself,”  cut  off  at  three 
and  thirty  years  of  age  by  a  cruel  and  shameful  public 
execution,  in  which  representatives  of  both  the  Jewish  and 
heathen  worlds  took  part. 

It  is  part  of  the  teaching  of  Christianity  that  Jesus 
Christ  came  into  a  place  and  ministry  which  were  prepared 
for  Him  by  God  in  the  course  of  many  centuries,  in  one 
land,  and  among  a  people  whose  history  is  unique  among 
the  peoples  of  the  world.  Messialiship,  as  the  Old  Testa¬ 
ment  sets  it  forth,  includes  the  ideas  of  a  Divine  Prophet, 
a  Divine  Priest,  and  a  Divine  King  ;  of  one,  i.e.,  in  whom 
God  would  supremely  reveal  His  mind  and  will,  reconcile 
the  world  unto  Himself,  notwithstanding  its  sinfulness,  and 
reconstitute  human  society  on  a  perfect  model,  which  should 
contain  within  it  perpetual  righteousness,  peace,  and  joy. 
Such  an  ideal  was  fulfilled  in  Jesus  Christ. 

After  the  death  of  Jesus,  though  nothing  was  written 
by  Him,  there  was  left  behind  Him  the  remembrance  of  His 
history.  His  character  and  His  teachings,  which  were  pre¬ 
served  by  a  small  body  of  followers,  most  of  whom  were 
actually  His  companions  during  His  ministry,  and  one  of 
whom,  the  apostle  Paul,  was  specially  prepared  to  take 
up  the  work  of  teaching,  and  was,  immediately  on  his 
conversion,  received  by  the  Christians  among  whom  he 
went  as  a  true  disciple. 

The  personal  authority  of  Jesus  Christ  was  the  sole 
ground  of  the  authority  of  his  apostles  and  disciples. 
They  taught  nothing  but  what  they  believed  to  be  His 
teaching.  They  commenced  tlie  Christian  Church  and 
Christianity  as  a  practical  system,  as  representatives  and 
members  of  Jesus  Christ.  He  was  their  Head,  their  ruling 
authority,  their  sustaining  power.  While,  therefore,  we 
are  dependent  upon  their  accounts  of  their  Master,  and 
their  representation  of  His  doctrine,  they  became  a  mutual 
guarantee  of  sincerity  and  trustworthiness.  The  facts 


RELIGION  OF  THE  BIBLE. 


5 


warranting  the  Truths,  and  the  Truths  warranting  the 
facts.  Gospels  and  Epistles  confirming  one  another. 

This  secondary  character  of  the  Christian  writings  is 
quite  consistent  with  the  claim  which  Christianity  makes  to 
be  the  religion  of  Christ,  for  while  there  must  necessarily 
be  somewhat  of  the  medium  mixing  with  the  facts  and 
truths  themselves,  it  is  not  to  their  injury  or  obscuring, 
but  rather  for  the  better  and  fuller  setting  forth  of  the 
reality ;  for  we  thus  obtain  a  fourfold  represent atio7i  of 
Christ  and  Christianity,  not  contradictory  but  comple¬ 
mentary,  The  four  Gospels — Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  and 
John — giving  us  the  four  sides  of  the  structure  of  facts 
and  words,  and  the  writings  of  St.  James,  St.  Peter,  St. 
Paul,  and  St.  John,  reflecting  the  different  aspects  of 
Christian  faith  and  character,  corresponding  in  some 
deforce  to  the  different  but  harmonious  views  of  the 

O 

Saviour’s  life  and  doctrine. 

It  is  necessary  also  to  notice  the  “  lifting  up  ”  of  Christ 
by  the  crucifixion  that  He  might  ^^draw  all  men  unto  Him."' 
The  Christianity  which  does  not  include  the  death  and 
resurrection  of  Jesus  as  its  main  feature,  cannot  be  uni¬ 
versal,  and  remains  within  the  narrow  limits  of  Judaism. 
The  Religion  of  Christ  must  be  the  religion  of  the  crucified 
and  risen  ^Redeemer, 

✓ 

Christianity  is  the  Religion  of  the  Bible. 

The  word  Bible  properly  means  a  collection  of  small 
boohs.  The  two  volumes  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments 
comprise  writings  extending  over  fifteen  hundred  years, 
possibly  going  back  to  a  remote  antiquity.  While  the 
New  Testament  has  proceeded  directly  from  the  Christian 
Church,  the  Old  Testament  was,  for  more  than  a  genera¬ 
tion  after  the  death  of  Jesus  Christ,  used  by  Christians, 
in  their  services  and  worship  generally,  as  their  Bible.  It 
was  the  Septuagint,  or  Greek  version  of  the  Old  Testament, 


6 


PKIIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


wMch  was  mostly  read  by  the  first  disciples  of  Christ. 
While  they  were  accustomed  to  the  words  of  the  Jewish 
Scriptures,  they  did  not  follow  Jewish  traditions  or  Jewish 
interpretations.  Christianity  is  not  responsible  for  all 
that  was  believed  among  the  Jews. 

It  is  a  necessary  instrument  of  a  religion  that  it  should 
be  eynhodied  in  writings  which  could  be  handed  down  from 
age  to  age.  But  it  is  not  necessary  to  the  authority  of 
such  writings  that  they  should  be  regarded  as  the  only 
documents  in  which  Divine  Truth  is  taught,  or  that  there 
is  nothing  in  them  which  may  not  be  superseded  in  course 
of  time. 

The  true  conception  of  a  Divine  Revelation  is  that  of  a 
'progressive  communication  of  Truth,  It  is  possible,  there¬ 
fore,  that,  as  book  followed  hook,  through  fifteen  hundred 
years,  up  to  the  time  of  Christ,  while  the  light  increased, 
old  things  passed  away.  Revelation  does  not  mean  a 
disclosure  of  all  the  secrets  of  God,  but  a  special  and  authori¬ 
tative  teaching,  through  human  instruments,  under  Divine 
guidance,  with  an  end  in  vieiv,  in  which  all  the  progressive 
steps  shall  he  perfected  in  one  personal  Manifestation.  While, 
therefore,  Christianity  rests  upon  the  whole  Bible,  it  must 
be  tried  by  the  books  of  the  New  Testament  more  than  by 
those  of  the  Old.  The  substance  of  Judaism,  in  so  far  as  it 
is  found  in  the  Jewish  Scriptures,  was  carried  forward 
into  Christianity.  Some  of  the  merely  formal  elements, 
which  surrounded  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  His  ministry, 
were  not  adopted  by  Him,  but  left  behind  Him  in  the  old 
dispensation. 

The  distinctly  Christian  documents  may  be  viewed  in 
three  aspects : — 

1.  As  historical,  setting  forth  the  facts  on  which  Chris¬ 
tianity  is  founded. 

2.  As  doctrinal,  proclaiming  the  constituents  of  a  creed 
which,  though  not  formally  drawn  up  in  the  New  Testa¬ 
ment,  is  implied  throughout;  the  creed  of  the  early  Chyds- 


RELIGION  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH.  7 

tians,  concerning  God,  Jesus  Christ,  the  Holy  Spirit,  Sin, 
Forgiveness,  Judgment,  and' the  Future  State. 

3.  As  practical,  laying  down,  either  by  precept  or  by 
description  of  Christian  character  and  life,  the  rule  or  laiu 
of  obedience  to  Christ,  as  the  Head  and  King  of  His  people, 
and  the  rightful  Ruler  of  the  world. 

The  books  of  the  Hew  Testament  should  be  read  as 
the  authoritative  standards  on  these  three  subjects.  What¬ 
ever  use  is  made  of  other  and  later  books,  such  as  the 
writings  of  early  fathers,  and  ecclesiastical  writings  gene¬ 
rally,  they  must  not  be  regarded  as  superseding,  in  any 
sense,  the  Hew  Testament;  nor  is  it  safe  to  decide  points 
of  history,  doctrine,  or  practice,  by  the  standard  of  what 
was  written  subsequent  to  the  time  of  the  apostles. 

Christianity  is  the  Religion  of  the  Christian 

Church. 

By  ••  the  Christian  Church  ”  is  meant  the  congregation  or 
society  of  those  who  are  separated  from  others  as  a  religious 
community,  on  the  ground  of  their  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  and 
in  order  to  fulfil  His  commandments.  There  has  never  been 
a  time,  since  that  of  the  apostles,  when  there  was  not, 
somewhere  in  the  world,  such  a  society,  however  the 
number  of  Christians  has  varied,  and  whatever  their  state. 
While  corruption  crept  in  among  those  who  were  called 
Christians,  it  must  be  remembered  that  the  Church  itself 
was  not  responsible  for  those  corruptions  at  its  first  com¬ 
mencement.  The  Christianity  which  came  immediately 
from  Christ,  and  which  was  expressed  in  the  first  Christian 
communities,  was  the  Christianity  which  is  embodied  in 
the  writings  of  the  New  Testament.  We  can  easily  trace 
the  sources  of  those  corruptions  which  subsequently  flowed 
into  the  Church.  They  were  partly  due  to  the  ignorance 
and  defective  characters  of  converts  from  heathenism,  and 
partly  to  the  want  of  faith  in  Christians  themselves,  lead- 


8 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


ing  them  to  employ  means  and  agencies  which  compro¬ 
mised  their  Christian  spirit.  At  the  same  time  it  should 
be  borne  in  mind  that,  whatever  was  added  to  genuine 
Christianity,  whatever  was  taken  from  it,  whatever  per¬ 
versions  of  the  truth  were  suffered,  the"  standard  of  re¬ 
ference  remained  uninjured^  viz.  the  Christian  Scriptures, 
the  character  and  practice  of  the  primitive  Church  of  the 
apostles. 

All  true  reformations  and  revivals  of  practical  religion 
during  the  course  of  Christian  history  have  been  brought 
about  by  the  influence  of  truths  which  were  testified  in  the 
earliest  Christian  Churches.  The  word  preached  has  been 
as  nearly  as  possible  the  word  of  the  Scriptures.  The  life 
enjoined  has  been  the  life  which  follows  as  closely  as 
possible  the  example  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  changes  made 
have  been  with  a  view  to  recall  primitive  simplicity  and 
purity  of  faith  and  practice. 

There  is  a  great  movement  of  Christians  in  modern 
times,  in  the  spread  of  Christianity  among  the  populations 
of  the  world,  both  where  Christ  is  named,  and  where  other 
religions  have  prevailed ;  the  motive  power  of  such  efforts 
is  not  derived  from  spurious  additions  to  the  Truth,  but 
from  the  quickened  faith  in  Christ  Himself. 

Admitting  the  imperfections  and  faults  which  have 
attached  to  all  Christian  Churches,  without  exception, 
especially  since  the  apostles  were  removed,  still  it  cannot 
be  denied  that  communities  of  Christians  have  leavened 
very  much  of  the  world  with  influences,  which  have  in 
the  long  run  worked  for  good  ;  that  the  progress  of  Europe 
and  America,  and  the  hopeful  aspect  of  other  quarters  of 
the  world,  are  due  chiefly  to  Christianity. 

It  is  not  possible  for  the  spirit  of  denial  or  doubt  to 
hold  together  communities  of  active  well-doers.  That  the 
Christian  Church  should  have  maintained  its  agency, 
through  so  many  centuries,  is  owing  to  the  positive  spiritual 
life  that  has  been  continued  in  it.  And  that  the  truth 


RELIGION  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  MAN. 


9 


sliOHld  be  clearing  itself  of  accumulated  errors  is  an 
evidence  of  its  vitality  and  authority.  At  last  Christianity 
will  be  seen  clearly  and  fully  in  the  Church. 

Christianity  is  the  Religion  of  the  Christian  Man. 

It  is  quite  possible  to  separate  in  thought  that  which 
any  professed  Christian  derives  from  Christ  from  that 
which  is  due  to  his  own  weakness  and  imperfect  realization 
of  Christianity*  We  ought  not  to  charge  upon  the  religion 
professed  the  inconsistency  and  faultiness  of  the  professor. 
Moreover,  there  is  no  claim  made  by  Christianity  which  is 
falsified  by  the  facts  of  men’s  characters  and  lives.  If 
Jesus  Christ  had  called  only  the  righteous  to  Him,  then 
He  might  be  said  to  have  failed,  but  the  work  which  He 
undertakes  and  finishes  is  not  to  be  judged  of  by  what  we 
see  in  this  world  alone.  The  character  which  falls  short 
here  is  made  complete  hereafter.  Some  few  facts  with 
reo-ard  to  the  Christian  man  help  us  to  see  the  distinctive 
nature  and  supreme  value  of  Christianity. 

There  is  no  limit  to  the  Christian  ideal  of  humanity. 
Other  religions,  such  as  Paganism,  Mahommedanism, 
Judaism,  set  before  the  individual  man  no  such  example  as 
Jesus  Christ,  no  such  moral  teaching  as  is  found  in  the 
New  Testament,  and  no  such  motives  to  live  a  new  life  as 
Christianity  supplies.  There  is  nothing  which  properly 
belongs  to  practical  Christianity  which  represses  the  pure 
humanity  of  man.  Tried  by  the  test  of  actual  life  and 
history,  the  more  Christian  we  are,  the  stronger  and  happier 
our  personal  manhood,  and  the  healthier  and  more  benefi¬ 
cent  our  influence  on  the  world  around  us.  There  is  an 
adaptation,  in  the  Christian  standard,  to  all  varieties  of 
men,  to  all  countries  and  conditions  of  the  social  state. 
And  it  must  be  admitted,  the  personal  exemplification  of 
the  standard,  in  Christ,  sets  it  unmistakably  before  all  as 
that  which  all  can  apply. 


10 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


The  Christian  man  is  what  he  is,  as  a  Christian,  because 
he  believes  in  Christ.  He  is  not  to  be  judged  by  the  stan¬ 
dard  of  conventional  morality,  nor  of  the  conscience  alone. 
His  faith  becomes  a  moral  power  within  him,  leading  him 
to  live  a  new  life,  impelling  him  to  follow  Christ,  and  thus 
setting  before  him  the  perfect  standard  of  the  Hew  Testa¬ 
ment.  His  character,  therefore,  is  ceaselessly  progressive. 
Moreover,  it  is  by  the  Christian  society  that  the  Christian 
man  is  nurtured  and  guided.  The  influence  of  Christianity 
is  elevating  to  humanity  as  a  whole.  It  tends  to  purify,  as 
well  as  maintain,  society  generally.  It  points  to  a  future, 
in  which  the  kingdom  of  Christ  shall  be  universal ;  and 
from  that  kingdom  shall  be  cast  out  all  that  defiles  and 
degrades  the  nature  of  man.  The  ideal  shall  be  reached. 


(  11  ) 


HOW  CHRISTIANITY  HAS  BEEN  AND  IS 

OPPOSED. 

To  understand  the  attacks  made  upon  a  religion  is  to  learn 
how  it  is  related  to  different  systems,  beliefs,  philosophies, 
tendencies  of  thought,  individual  characters.  Thus  the 
study  of  the  defence  of  Christianity  is  a  valuable  help  to 
the  Christian,  both  in  meeting  unbelief  and  in  confirm¬ 
ing  faith. 

Opposition  to  Christianity  has  proceeded  from  the  State 
on  political  grounds;  from  rival  religions,  chiefly  under 
the  influence  of  fear  and  by  the  instigation  of  priestcraft ; 
or  from  the  thinking  men,  such  as  philosophers,  who,  being 
ignorant  of  what  Christianity  taught,  or  unable  to  recon¬ 
cile  it  with  their  systems,  scorned  it  as  foolishness.  Jews 
hated  the  name  of  Jesus,  because  their  views  of  the  Old 
Testament  were  condemned  by  the  Gospel,  and  their 
national  pride  was  offended. 

Early  defences  of  Christianity  corrected  misrepresenta¬ 
tions  of  Christian  character  and  aims,  and  sought  to 
connect  together  the  Old  and  New  Testaments.  But 
there  was  no  formal  written  attack  upon  Christian  teaching 
and  documents  until  about  A.D.  180,  when  probably  Celsus, 
a  philosopher,  published  a  work  with  the  title  “  A  True 
Discourse,”  an  elaborate  assault,  first  upon  the  New  Testa¬ 
ment  as  irreconcilable  with  the  Old,  next,  upon  the 
Christian  life,  as  morally  and  politically  blameworthy ;  and 
then,  upon  the  statements  of  the  evangelists  and  the  claims 
of  Jesus  Christ,  miracles  and  Christian  doctrines.  This 
work  was  fully  answered  by  the  Greek  father,  Origen,  in 


12 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


the  book  “Against  Celsus,”  written  about  A.D.  250. 
Another  antagonist  was  Porphyry  (a.d.  233-305),  of  the 
New  Platonic  school,  in  Alexandria,  more  acute  and  subtle 
than  Celsus,  arguing  against  the  authenticity  of  Scripture 
hooJcs,  the  philosophical  validity  of  Christian  doctrines,  and 
the  consistency  of  the  apostles.  His  writings  have  all 
perished,  though  we  have  quotations  from  them  in  Christian 
fathers.  In  a.d.  303,  Hierocles,  president  of  Bithynia,  and 
afterwards  prefect  of  Alexandria,  attempted  to  plead  the 
cause  of  declining  heathenism  (as  Julian  the  Apostate  sub¬ 
sequently  did,  as  emperor)  by  calling  attention  to  Apollonius 
of  Tyana,  as  a  rival  of  Jesus  Christ,  in  teaching  and  working 
of  miracles.  After  the  conversion  of  the  Emperor  Constantine 
(a.d.  312),  from  the  fourth  century,  opposition  to  Chris¬ 
tianity  was  rare  and  feeble.  Augustine  shows  us,  in  his 
“  City  of  God,”  that  there  was  much  error  and  doubt  still 
in  the  world,  but  opposition  died  away. 

For  many  centuries,  during  the  supremacy  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  speculative  unbelief  was  sup¬ 
pressed,  or  took  the  form  of  heretical  doctrine.  But,  in 
the  Middle  Ages,  the  discussions  of  the  schoolmen  prepared 
the  way  for  intellectual  doubt.  Questions  were  asked 
which  could  not  be  answered.^  But  whatever  unbelieving 
tendencies  were  existing  they  were  little  expressed,  though 
secretly  propagated.  The  attempt,  upon  the  part  of  philo¬ 
sophical  minds,  to  secure  a  ratio7ial  foundation  for  their 
creed,  was  the  result  of  the  intellectual  awakening  which 
marked  fourteenth  and  fifteenth  centuries.  The  conflicts 
which  arose  between  the  modern  intelligence  and  the 
spirit  of  medisevalism  in  the  Romish  Church,  produced,  in 
many,  an  antagonism  to  Christianity  itself.  The  study  of 
Scripture  promoted  criticism.  Investigation  and  inquiry, 
while  restlessly  alive,  had  not  always  the  opportunity  or 
means  of  satisfaction.  Philosophy  was  in  its  infancy ; 
Biblical  study  was  immature.  The  result  was,  much  of 
crude  theology  and  the  spread  of  unbelief. 


HOW  CHRISTIANITY  IS  OPPOSED. 


13 


English  Deists  commenced  to  write  in  the  seventeenth 
century,  with  Lord  Herhert  of  Cherbnry  (1681-1648),  who 
was  followed  by  Hohhes  (1588-1679),  Blount  (1654-1603), 
Toland  (1669-1722),  Shaftesbwry  (1671-1713),  Gollins, 
(1676-1729),  Woolston  (1669-1733),  Tindal  (1657-1733), 
Morgan  (died,  1743),  Ghuhh  (1679-1747).  Admitting 
what  was  called  natural  7'eligion,  they  denied  the  truth 
of  miracles,  the  specific  doctrines  of  Ghdstianity,  and  the 
canonical  authority  of  the  Scriptures.  Their  object  was  to 
meet  the  demands  of  the  philosophical  mind  of  the  age, 
and  to  reduce  Ghristianity  to  morality.  Their  opposition 
can  be  best  understood  by  a  study  of  Butler’s  great  work, 
“  The  Analogy  of  Religion,  Natural  and  Revealed,  to  the 
Constitution  and  Course  of  Nature,”  published  in  reply 
to  the  deist  Tindal,  in  1736.  The  eighteenth  century 
developed  the  unbelief  of  the  seventeenth ;  particularly  in 
the  forms  of  materialism  and  rationalism.  France  and 
Germany,  as  well  as  England,  were  pervaded  by  the 
sceptical  spirit.  The  names  of  Bolinghrohe,  Hume,  Gibbon, 
Thomas  Paine,  Bayle,  Voltaire,  Rousseau,  may  be  men¬ 
tioned  ;  and  German  rationalism,  commencing  in  Semler 
and  culminating  in  D.  F.  Strauss,  of  Tubingen,  whose 
“  Life  of  Jesus  ”  produced  a  very  great  effect  on  the 
Continent  generally.  There  was  a  terrible  outburst  of 
infidelity  in  the  French  Revolution,  which  may  be  said  to 
have  relieved  the  intellectual  atmosphere,  like  a  discharge 
of  electricity.  The  unbelief  which  characterized  the 
commencement  of  the  present  century  was  much  milder 
in  expression,  and  gradually  passed  away,  so  far  as  it  was 
in  the  form  of  direct  attack  upon  Christianity.  It  has 
been  followed,  however,  by  a  scepticism,  which,  while 
tempered  by  a  more  candid  and  reasonable  spirit,  is 
perhaps  more  deep-seated  and  determined.  There  have  been 
English  writers,  in  the  first  half  of  the  century,  who  have 
retailed  for  their  own  public  the  rationalism  of  Germany, 
such  as  Mackay,  Greg,  F.  W.  Newman,  Golenso,  and  others ; 


14 


riilMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


but  tlie  special  feature  of  the  middle  of  the  present  century 
has  been  the  rise  of  philosophical  sceptics,  like  Mr.  John 
Stuart  Mill,  Mr.  George  Henry  Lewes,  Mr.  Herbert  Spencer, 
in  our  own  country,  and  Auguste  Comte,  Baur,  Strauss, 
and  Renan,  in  France  and  Germany,  whose  assaults,  both 
upon  fundamental  truths  of  religion  and  upon  the  authority 
of  the  Scriptures,  have  been  accompanied  by  a  profound 
thought  and  acute  and  comprehensive  criticism,  quite  un¬ 
known  among  unbelievers  before  their  time.  The  scientific 
speculations  of  modern  times  have  greatly  influenced  the 
tone  of  mind  with  which  Christianity  has  been  studied; 
especially  as  apparently  rendering  the  accounts  of  miracles 
less  credible,  indeed  to  some  incredible. 

At  the  present  time  unbelief  assumes  many  different 
forms.  The  most  prominent  of  these  may  be  described 
briefly  thus ; — 

1.  The  scientiff,c  sceptics.  Much  in  Christianity  would 
be  left  unopposed  by  this  class,  so  long  as  they  are  not 
required  to  accept  miracles.  A  theory  of  the  physical 
universe  is  held  which  is  supposed  to  involve  the  rejection 
of  Christianity.  But  the  opposition  to  Christian  Truth  is 
not  direct,  rather  indifference  and  contempt,  with  the  notion 
that  religion  must  give  way  to  science. 

2.  The  positivist  philosophers,  who  maintain  as  one  of 
their  dogmas  that  the  religious  state  of  mind  is  an  earlier 
stage  in  the  progressive  development  of  thought,  and  that 
it  is  to  be  regarded  as  superseded  by  positive  science.  The 
theory  of  evolution  is  adopted  by  these  speculators  ;  and 
that  being  taken  as  established  (which  it  certainly  is  not), 
is  regarded  as  a  distinct  contradiction  of  the  positions  of 
Christianity. 

3.  The  rationalistic  critics.  While  there  are  many 
who  oppose  the  Divine  authority  of  the  Bible,  regarding 
it  as  inspired  only  in  the  same  sense  in  which  works  of 
human  genius  are  inspired,  many  more  criticize  the  re¬ 
ceived  views  of  Scripture  with  the  utmost  freedom,  and 


CREDENTIALS  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


15 


reject  the  traditions  of  the  Christian  Church  as  to  the 
authorship  and  dates  of  the  several  books  ,  particalarly  as 
to  the  genuineness  and  antiquity  of  the  books  of  Moses,  the 
fourth  Gospel,  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  and  all  the  epistles 
of  St.  Paul  except  ^Romans,  1  and  2  Corinthians,  and 
Galatians. 

Generally  speaking,  however,  the  criticism  is  not  based 
so  much  upon  the  matter  of  the  book,  but  upon  details  of 
language ;  and  upon  the  critic’s  own  theory  as  to  the  use  of 
words.  The  main  attack  upon  the  New  Testament  has 
proceeded  from  the  school  of  Tubingen  in  Germany.  It 
has  been  met  with  the  greatest  decision  and  learning  by 
the  defenders  of  the  Christian  position.  Notwithstanding 
the  renewal  of  exploded  objections,  and  attempts  to  rein¬ 
force  worn-out  theories,  the  influence  of  this  hypercritical 
school  is  diminishing  rapidly. 

4.  The  secularists.  These  are  found  chiefly  among  the 
working  classes  and  the  less  educated.  Their  leaders  are 
not  mere  sceptics,  but  frequently  angry  opponents  of  Christ 
and  Christians.  They  occupy  themselves  much  in  setting 
forth  dificulties  and  contradictions  in  the  teachings  of  the 
inconsistencies  in  Christians,  and  the  supposed  irrecon- 
cileability  of  Christianity  with  social  progress,  particularly 
with  the  elevation  of  the  loiver  classes  and  the  realization 
of  socialistic  schemes.  Some  of  them  claim  a  high  moral 
tone  in  their  motives  and  aims.  Others  are,  only  too 
evidently,  bitterly  opposed  to  the  lofty  moral  teachings  of 
Christianity.  But  the  one  common  feature  of  all  alike  is 
their  bold  denial  of  a  future  state ;  or,  at  least,  that  man 
is  required  to  prepare  for  such  a  state.  Assuming  that 
knowledge  is  only  of  what  is  observed  by  the  senses,  and 
that  all  beyond  is  unknowable,  and  therefore  of  no  present 
interest,  they  inculcate  a  materialistic  method  of  life,  and 
profess  entire  confidence  in  the  suficiency  of  human  science, 
as  it  advances,  to  meet  all  the  ivants  of  men  and  to  renovate 
the  world. 


16 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


But  there  are  many  who  could  scarcely  be  classed 
under  any  of  these  heads.  They  do  not  oppose  Chris¬ 
tianity  in  the  sense  of  denying  that  it  is  a  true  religion, 
and  that  it  is  working  beneficially  in  the  history  of  Man, 
but  they  treat  it  as  open  on  every  side  to  free  criticism ; 
they  doubt  some  of  its  acknowledged  positions ;  they  pro¬ 
fess  themselves  willing  to  maintain  its  forms  and  worship, 
only  on  condition  of  accepting  as  much  as  pleases  them  of 
its  creed ;  they  would  fain  have,  placed  side  by  side  with 
it,  and  as  deserving  of  a  reverence  almost  as  great,  the 
intellectual  acquireme^its  and  pursuits  of  the  cultivated 
and  scientific  classes  and  the  enthusiastic  sentiments  which 
attend  upon  Art.  Such  an  attitude  is  keeping  numbers 
from  an  examination  of  Christian  Evidence,  which  would 
convince  them  that  those  who  refuse  to  identify  them¬ 
selves  with  Jesus  Christ  are  really  against  Him.  “  iZe 
that  gathereth  not  with  Him  scattereth  abroad,** 


(  ‘7  ) 


WHAT  THE  CREDENTIALS  OP 
CHRISTIANITY  ARE. 

Dr.  Johnson  defines  credential'^  ^Hhat  which  gives  a 
title  to  credit ;  the  warrant  upon  which  belief  or  authority 
is  claimed."  There  are  many  such  credentials  of  Chris¬ 
tianity  according  as  it  is  regarded  under  any  of  the  four 
different  aspects  jnst  described.  As  the  religion  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  credentials  will  be  those  which  can  be  traced 
to  the  person  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  being  manifestly  from 
God.  As  the  religion  of  the  Bible,  the  credentials  will  be 
those  which  are  presented  in  the  sacred  writings,  their 
claim  to  be  received  as  of  Divine  authority,  their  sub¬ 
stantial  integrity  as  handed  down  to  ns,  their  substantial 
truthfulness  as  testifying  to  facts  and  doctrines,  their 
unique  superiority  as  a  record  of  the  Word  given  by 
the  Spirit  of  God  through  many  ages  and  especially  in 
the  first  beginnings  of  Christianity.  As  the  religion  of  the 
Christian  Church,  the  credentials  must  be  sought  in  the 
pages  of  history ;  the  examination  of  the  remains  of  early 
Christian  writings  enabling  us  to  trace  the  evidence  of 
an  unbrohen  chain  of  belief  in  the  main  points  of  the 
Christian  creed  and  in  the  supreme  authority  of  Christ 
and  His  apostles.  As  the  religion  of  the  Christian  man, 
the  credentials  are  wide  and  varied  as  humanity  itself. 
They  come  from  the  depth  of  the  heart,  from  the  records 
of  Christian  missions,  from  the  testimonies  of  the  leading 
minds  of  the  world  since  Christianity  came  into  it,  from 
the  proved  adaptation  of  the  Christian  religion  to  fulfil  its 
aim  which  is  universal  dominion  over  the  nature  and  life 
of  Man. 


18 


PEIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


The  Credentials  of  Christianity  as  the  Religion 

of  Jesus  Christ. 

1.  The  character  of  Jesus  Christ  portrayed  in  the 
Gospels  is  a  moral  miracle.  There  are  only  three  possible 
accounts  to  be  given  of  it :  (i.)  that  it  was  ^  pure  invention 
of  the  men  who  wrote  the  Gospels;  (ii.)  that  it  was  an 
idealized  portrait,  the  original  being  much  less  wonderful ; 
(iii.)  that  the  evangelists  simply  record  the  facts.  No  one 
has  ever  seriously  maintained  that  the  Gospels  Sire  fictitious. 
It  would  be  to  credit  the  writers  with  a  power  they 
evidently  had  not,  and  would  necessitate  either  collusion, 
or  independent  dishonest  action,  both  of  which  would  be 
inconsistent  with  their  moral  character.  An  idealized  por¬ 
trait,  if  either  gradually  formed  or  the  work  of  individuals, 
would  certainly  be  very  different  from  the  Gospels  in  struc¬ 
ture.  It  would  be  more  complete  and  finished,  and  would 
not  be  so  remSir\.Suh\j  free  from  per sorial  bias  of  the  writer’s 
own  mind.  There  is  nothing,  either  in  the  matter  or  in 
the  form,  of  the  Gospel  narrative,  to  suggest  manipulation  : 
that  is,  the  writers  did  not  mould  the  facts  and  sayings 
of  Christ  according  to  their  ow7i  ideas,  but  simply  recorded 
them.  While  there  may  be  some  evidence  of  intentional 
selection  of  matter,  and  special  aim,  in  the  order  and 
arrangement,  still  there  is  no  evidence  of  distinct  intel¬ 
lectual  plan,  nor  of  co-operation  to  produce  harmony  and 
consistency.  Each  evangelist  sets  down  that  which  serves 
his  purpose,  in  many  instances  no  doubt  using  the  same 
original  record,  either  written  or  oral,  to  some  degree 
influenced  by  his  own  standpoint,  but  not,  either  by  him¬ 
self  or  with  others,  aiming  at  producing  an  ideal  portrait, 
only  at  a  practical  end^  which  is  expressed  by  the  Apostle 
Peter  (2  Pet.  i.  15),  that  others  after  their  decease  may 
he  able  to  have  these  things  always  in  remembrance.^’ 

There  remains,  then,  only  the  third  account  possible. 


JESUS  WROUGHT  MIRACLES. 


19 


The  original  from  which  the  portrait  is  drawn  is  accurately 
represented  in  it :  then,  such  a  portrait  is  a  credential  of 
Christianity — for  it  sets  before  us  One,  who  cannot  be 
regarded  as  either  an  ordinary  Man,  or  merely,  an  extraor¬ 
dinary  Man,  but  who  must  have  been,  what  He  claimed 
to  be,  and  what  Christianity  announces,  ''Son  of  God.’'  ^ 
The  chief  points  of  the  character  of  Jesus  Christ  in 
which  we  see  His  claims  supported  are  these  :  (i.)  He  giew 
up  in  the  midst  of  the  common  world  without  the  ordinary 
imperfections  of  men  ;  from  a  child  He  was  spotlessly  pure, 
while  still  truly  human,  in  disposition  and  mode  of  life ; 
(ii.)  He  was  not  only  free  from  the  faults  of  a  Jewish 
education,  but  became  an  entire  exception  to  the  Jewish 
character ;  (hi.)  though  from  the  time  of  His  public 
ministry  exposed  to  hatred  and  opposition,  He  was  charged 
with  nothing  inconsistent  with  His  claims,  viewed  morally ; 
(iv.)  He  was  surrounded  by  a  body  of  disciples,  who 
themselves  became  examples  of  heroic  self-sacrifice  and 
holy  life,  and  they  always  regarded  Him  as  sustaining  the 
claims  He  put  forth  to  their  reverence  and  obedience; 
(v.)  from  beginning  to  end  of  His  ministry,  and  through 
persecution,  and  the  cruel  death  of  crucifixion.  He  was 
a  perfect  example  of  benevolence,  humility,  and  patience, 
united  with  omnipotent  power,  S2iperhuman  wisdom,  and 
perfect  consciousness  of  His  own  greatness ;  (vi.)  the  testi¬ 
monies  of  many  of  the  profoundest  students  of  history 
and  of  human  character,  may  be  adduced  to  the  unsur¬ 
passable  glory  of  Christ’s  character.  Among  others  those 
of  J.  J.  Rousseau,  Hapoleon  the  Great,  the  poet  Goethe, 
the  philosopher  J.  S.  Mill,  Mr.  Lecky,  the  historian  of 
morality,  (vii.)  Apart  from  the  question  of  Christian 
faith,  it  must  be  admitted,  the  character  of  Jesus  has 
immensely  influenced  the  world,  nor  can  any  other  be  really 
compared  with  it. 

2.  The  teachings  of  Jesus  Christ  are  a  moral  miracle. 
We  may  study  the  words  of  Christ,  either  as  they  came 


20 


PPJAIER  OP  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 

from  Him  as  a  Galilean  teacher,  or  as  they  stand  in  a 

body  in  the  Gosjiels,  capable  of  being  set  side  by  side  with 

any  other  body  of  words.  It  is  impossible  to  account  for 

them  simply  by  reference  to  the  Old  Testament ;  for  they 

were  not  only  original  in  form,  but,  often,  much  hio-her 

in  spiritual  import,  than  anything  to  be  found  in°the 

Law,  the  Psalms  or  the  prophets.  They  were  altogether 

ditterent  from  the  current  teaching  of  Jewish  rabbis  and 

heathen  phihsophers. ^  Then,  as  compared  with  the  words 

o  others,  notice  their  simplicity,  their  moral  breadth  and 

perfection,  their  adaptation  to  all  times  and  places, 

eir  superiority  to  the  weaknesses  of  human  nature,  and 

yet  their  power  over  men ;  their  inculcation  of  a  life 

which  IS  so  different  from  the  world’s  standard,  and  yet 

w  ich  IS  so  fitted  to  bless  and  save  the  world;  their 

mission  to  the  poor  and  afflicted.  Philosophy  has  utterly 

failed  to  do,  what  the  words  of  Jesus  Christ  have  done 

produce  a  great  moral  change  in  the  world.  Philosophy 

preached  to  the  few ;  Christ  preached  to  the  many. 

Philosophy  soU  its  teachings  for  money  ;  Christ  blesses 

all,  without  money  and  without  price/'  Moreover,  the 

words  of  Christ  are  based  upon  a  claim  of  Vivine  Low- 

ledge  which  they  fully  sustain.  They  are  the  words  of 

Uue  who  came  out  of  “  the  bosom  of  the  Father,”  and  who 

could  read  the  secrets  of  eternity.  Many  of  Christ’s 

sayings  are  too  great  and  solemn  to  be  uttered  by  any  one 

sincerely,  who  was  himself  a  sinful  man,  like  others.  He 

spake  that  which  He  knew,  and  He  testihed  that  which 
-He  had  seen.” 

8.  Jesus  Christ  as  a  worker  of  miracles,  stood  above  al] 
otners. 

Whether  miracles  have  ever  been  performed  or  not  is 
a  question  whicli  the  Christian  need  not  undertake’ to 

M  position,  denies  their  possibility. 

w  o  admit  that  Jesus  Christ  was  a  moral  miracle, 
wi  no  esitate  to  accept  the  narratives  which  describe 


JESUS  WROUGHT  MIRACLES. 


21 


'physical  mimcles.  The  miraculous  facts  are  so  mfer- 
mingled  ivith  the  Gospel  history  that  it  is  impossible  to 
dispense  with  them.  It  is  agreed  on  all  hands  that  the 
first  three  Gospels  were  published  little  more  than  a 
generation  after  the  death  of  Christ  ;  had  they  been 
capable  of  refutation,  enemies  of  Christianity  would  have 
refuted  them.  The  miracles  were  so  many  that  Jesus 
Christ  would  be  puhlicly  hnoivn  as  a  miracle-worher.  Had 
He  wrought  no  miracle,  such  a  claim  could  not  have  been 
put  forth  for  Him  :  and  if  He  wrought  one,  He  could  work 
all.  Had  the  accounts  been  invented,  they  would  have 
been  very  different,  in  character  and  style,  as  we  can  see 
by  comparing  the  spurious  Gospels  with  the  Gospels  of  the 
New  Testament. 

The  miracles,  if  admitted  to  be  real,  place  beyond 
doubt  the  claims  of  Jesus  Christ ;  for  (i.)  they  testify  to 
the  presence  of  Divine  power,  co-operating  with  His  teaching. 
The  nature  of  the  miracles  forbids  the  supposition  that 
they  were  wrought  by  ordinary  agencies.  They  were 
often  wrought  at  a  distance,  by  a  word,  in  cases  where 
all  human  means  were  unavailable  ;  upon  the  forces  of 
nature  which  are  beyond  the  control  of  man,  as  the  wind 
and  the  sea. 

(ii.)  They  were  performed  in  a  manner  which  betokened 
the  conscious  possession  hy  Jesus  Christ  of  inexhaustible 
power  and  indisputable  authority. 

(hi.)  They  were  accompanied  with  a  manifestation  of 
knowledge  and  penetration  into  the  secrets  of  men’s 
thoughts  and  intentions,  which  shows  that  they  were 
not  mere  coincidences  or  attendant  occurrences,  but  true 
credentials  of  Christ’s  claims. 

(iv.)  Jesus  Himself  appealed  to  such  facts,  as  supporting 

His  authority, 

(v.)  The  miracles  were  of  such  a  character  that  they 
perfectly  accord  with  the  mission  of  the  Saviour  /  they  were 
beneficent,  wisely  dispensed,  intimately  connected  with 


22 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


spiritual  teaching ;  never  wrought  for  the  sake  of  display, 
or  at  the  challenge  of  opponents,  or  for  personal  objects. 

(vi.)  Comparing  the  miracles  wrought  by  Jesus  Christ 
with  those  connected  with  other  names  in  the  Bible,  as 
Moses,  Elijah,  Elisha,  Peter,  John,  and.  Paul,  we  see  at 
once  the  distinction,  that  the  miracles  of  Christ  were  from 
Himself ;  many  more  in  number,  and  not  merely  put  forth 
to  authorize  what  he  said,  as  Divinely  sanctioned,  but  to 
prove  that  He  was  what  He  claimed  to  he,  the  “  Messiah  ” 
and  the  Son  of  God.  ’  “  JBelieve  Me  that  I  am  in  the 

Father,  and  the  Father  in  Me  :  or  else  believe  Me  for  the 
very  works  sake  (because  of  the  works),  John  xiv.  11. 

(vii.)  But  the  one  chief  credential  of  a  miraculous  kind  is 
the  Resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ  Himself  from  the  dead. 

The  Resurrection.  This  was  universally  accepted  as  the 
credential  of  Christianity  within  a  generation  of  the  fact 
itself.  It  was  boldly  proclaimed  by  apostles,  and  others,  as 
such.  The  Christian  Church  rested  on  it,  as  a  corner-stone, 
because  it  was  identified  with  the  claims  of  Jesus,  His 
authority,  His  risen  power.  His  living  presence  in  the 
Church,  the  duty  of  serving*  Him,  and  the  prospects  of 
eternal  life  He  had  proclaimed.  The  evidence  of  the  fact  is 
sufficient.  It  is  as  follows  : — 

(i.)  Positive.  He  was  seen  by  His  disciples,  after  He  was 
risen  ;  as,  c.g.,  (u)  by  Mary  and  the  women  ;  (Jo)  by  Peter ; 
(c)  by  James ;  (tZ)  by  the  disciples  going  to  Fmmaus ;  (e) 
by  the  apostles  gathered  together ;  (^f)  by  an  assembly  of 
apostles  and  disciples ;  (^g)  by  seven  disciples  at  Lake  Ti¬ 
berias ;  (Ji)  at  his  ascension  from  Mount  Olivet;  and  (i) 
lastly,  by  the  apostle  Paul,  near  Damascus.  He  probably 
manifested  Himself  on  other  occasions,  when  He  discoursed 
with  His  disciples  concerning  His  kingdom,  for  it  is  said 
(Acts  i.  3)  that  “  He  showed  himself  alive  after  His  passion 
by  many  infallible  proofs,  being  seen  of  them  forty  days.” 

(ii.)  Negative.  The  absence  in  early  times  of  all 
attempts  to  disprove  the  fact,  on  the  part  of  enemies.  The 


THE  RESUKRECTION. 


23 


impossibility  of  sustaining  any  adverse  theories^  such  as  will 
account  for  the  belief  which  became  so  rapidly  universal. 
These  theories  may  be  summed  up  under  three  heads  : — 
(1)  Those  which  deny  the  fact  and  suppose  it  introduced 
into  the  Gospels  in  a  later  age.  Some  would  boldly  charge 
the  writers  with  intention  to  deceive  ;  but  these  are  very 
few.  Others  would  place  the  Gospels  in  the  second 
century,  or  parts  of  them  (as  Strauss),  and  would  there¬ 
fore  represent  the  Resurrection  as  a  myth,  which  grew  up 
out  of  the  reverence  for  the  character  of  Christ.  But 
such  writers  are  refuted  by  the  proved  age  of  the  Gospels, 
by  the  earliest  writings  of  Christian  fathers,  and  by  the 
fact  that  the  Christian  Church  was  built  up  upon  the 
Resurrection,  as  is  plainly  seen  in  the  writings  of  St.  Paul 
(see  Romans,  and  1  and  2  Corinthians).  (2)  It  has  been 
suggested  by  some  that  Jesus  did  not  really  die,  but  was 
laid  in  the  sepulchre  in  a  state  of  insensibility !  This  is 
a  contradiction  of  the  facts,  is  incredible,  and  is  rejected 
by  sceptics,  like  Strauss,  as  absurd.  (3)  The  visionary 
hypothesis  is  revived  by  modern  writers,  who  would  fain 
be  regarded  as  Christian.  It  is  supposed  that  the  followers 
of  Jesus  were  credulous  and  superstitious ;  ready  for  a 
vision  ;  inclined  to  make  much  of  it ;  and  so  little 
actuated  by  moral  motives,  that  they  could  build  up 
the  Christian  Church  upon  it.  This  is  disproved  by  the 
manner  in  which  the  Resurreetion  is  referred  to  in 
Christian  writings;  by  the  character  of  the  men  who 
believed  it ;  by  the  fact  that  enemies  never  suggested  sueh 
an  explanation  ;  and  by  the  fact  that  the  apostles  distinctly 
declared  that  they  had  “  conversed  with  the  Lord  after  He 
had  risen,  and  that  He  had  given  them  His  commandments."* 
Then,  further,  it  should  be  remembered,  that  the  disciples 
did  not  expect  the  Resurrection  ;  were  not  in  any  enthusi¬ 
astic  state  when  it  occurred,  but,  rather,  depressed  and 
disconsolate  j  did  not  treat  it  as  a  vision,  but  as  a  fact  j 
preached  its  moral  fitness  and  i\ie  fuljihnent  of  Christas  own 


24 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


words  concerning  ifc,  and  of  the  Old  Testament  prophecies; 
proclaimed  it  as  the  credential  of  the  Messiah  to  Jews  and 
Gentiles.  As  to  the  evidence  of  such  a  hypotliesis  being 
entertained  in  early  times,  there  is  none,  for  the  body  of  Jesus 
could  have  been  produced,  if  necessary,  to  destroy  the  belief 
in  a  mere  vision  ;  unless  it  were  preached  as  such  and 
nothing  more.  (4)  The  latest  theory  is,  that  of  a  spiritual 
appearance  of  the  Lord,  His  body  being  left  in  the  grave.  In 
that  case,  it  would  of  course  “see  corruption^  which  the  first 
Christians  distinctly  denied.  If  it  is  meant,  however  (as  it 
is  by  some)  that  the  spiritual  Resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ 
involved  the  rising  of  His  body,  or  absorption  of  the  flesh  into 
the  spirit,  then  it  can  only  be  objected  that  such  is  not  the 
view  which  the  apostles  evidently  themselves  took  of  the  fact ; 
and  that,  while  it  relieves  ns  of  no  difficulty,  on  account 
of  the  greatness  of  the  work  accomplished,  it  introduces  a 
new  and  incomprehensible  problem,  namely,  how  the  spiritual 
body  could  absorb,  or  dissipate,  or  in  any  other  way  cause  to 
disappear,  the  material  or  fleshly  body.  That  there  was  a 
spiritual  change,  a  transformation,  is  evident,  and  was  fore¬ 
told  by  the  Transfiguration  ;  that  it  may  be  truly  described 
as  a  Besurrection,  is  the  main  point  to  be  held  fast ;  that  it 
proclaimed  victory  over  death,  and  a  future  eternal  life.  But 
we  must  strenuously  insist  on  the  sincerity  and  straight¬ 
forward  truthfulness  of  the  Christian  writers.  There  was  no 
delusion,  there  was  no  illusion,  there  was  no  collusion;  there 
was  no  fixed  idea,  or  expectation,  working  upon  their  minds, 
and  producing  statements  without  objective  reality.  It  is 
perfectly  true,  as  eminent  scientific  men  have  admitted, 
that  the  evidence  for  the  Resurrection  is  a  wider  and 
better  evidence  than  that  for  any  other  miracle,  and  it  carries 
all  the  rest  with  it,  for  the  greater  includes  the  less.  The 
Resurrection  was  not  only  a  credential,  but  itself  a  sub¬ 
stantial  part  of  the  gospel  message  to  the  world. 

4.  The  influence  of  Jesus  Christ  upon  His  immediate 
followers,  is  another  proof  of  His  authority.  Whatever  we 


Christ’s  influence  on  his  followers.  25 

know  of  Clirist  lias  come  to  us  tlirough  those  who  were 
with  Him,  who  were,  as  the  evangelist  Luke  states,  ''from 
the  beginning  eye-witnesses  and  ministers  of  the  word" 
(Luke  i.  2).  He  wrote  nothing  down  Himself.  It  is  a 
well-known  fact  thakthe  Jews  were  always,  and  especially 
in  the  later  times  of  their  history,  very  reluctant  to  write 
down  what  might  be  regarded  as  "Scripture"  Yet  we 
have  a  number  of  books  written  by  Jews,  which  came  to  be 
held  as  on  a  level  with  the  books  of  the  Old  Testament.  Had 
the  writers  been  actuated  by  nothing  more  than  their  own 
private  thoughts  and  aims,  it  is  impossible  to  explain  the  fact 
that  they  were  regarded  by  their  contemporaries  as  luriting 
with  authority.  Then,  moreover,  with  the  exceptions  of  St. 
Luke  and  St.  Paul,  those  whose  names  are  attached  to  the 
New  Testament  writings  were  not  highly  trained  literary 
men,  but  came  from  the  class  of  fishermen  of  Galilee,  or  men 
of  business,  such  as  Matthew  the  publican.  If  such  men 
really  wrote  the  works  to  which  their  name  is  attached,  a 
great  change  must  have  been  wrought  in  them,  which  was 
due  to  the  personal  influence  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  simple 
fact  that  there  were  twelve  Jews,  who,  after  the  death  of 
Jesus,  represented  Him  to  the  world,  cannot  be  denied,  in 
face  of  the  evidence  to  be  derived  from  the  books  of  the 
New  Testament,  and  from  the  early  Christian  writings. 
Consider,  then,  what  is  implied  in  that  fact.  The  ordinary 
Jew,  of  the  time  of  Christ,  was  a  very  different  man  from 
an  apostle  of  Christ.  He  was  under  the  influence  of  rab¬ 
binical  teaching,  which  would  make  Him  narrow,  bigoted, 
formal,  ritualistic.  He  would  be  quite  incapable  ot preaching, 
and  would  not  be  sufficiently  instructed  in  the  Old  Testa¬ 
ment  Scriptures  to  argue  in  synagogues.  He  would  have 
no  motive  to  leave  His  home,  and  common  life,  in  order  to 
visit  other  countries  on  a  religious  errand.  He  would  be  un¬ 
prepared  to  meet  the  dangers  of  t\mtfi,erce  opposition,  which 
all  new  doctrines  encounter,  in  such  a  people  and  time  as 
those  in  which  Christianity  commenced.  Now,  the  his- 


26 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


torical  necessities  of  the  case  prove  that  the  apostles  must 
have  been  lifted,  by  the  presence  and  influence  of  Jesus 
Christ,  completely  above  their  ordinary  life,  and  filled  with 
a  new  spirit.  The  instances  of  the  eleven,  who  were  im¬ 
mediate  companions  of  Jesus,  must  have  been  examples  of 
moral  and  spiritual  change,  simply  inexplicable  on  any 
other  ground  than  the  influence  of  the  Lord  Himself ;  and 
if  the  moral  miracle  of  their  change  is  to  be  attributed  to 
Him,  then  He  must  have  been,  substantially,  what  they 
represent  Him.  The  apostle  Paul  stands  by  himself  as 
proving,  apart  from  the  miraculous  conversion  narrated  in 
the  Acts  (ix.  1-9),  that  one  who  was  of  the  highest  order  of 
mind,  and  above  suspicion  as  a  truthful  and  earnest  man, 
not  only  believed  in  the  facts  of  Christ’s  history  and  in 
His  claims  as  the  IMessiah,  but  was  changed  by  Him  from 
being  a  persecutor  of  Christians  to  be  the  “  apostle  of  the 
Gren tiles,  and  devoted  the  whole  of  his  remaining  life  to 
preaching  the  gospel,  sealing  his  testimony  with  his  blood. 
It  is  now  admitted  by  all  critics,  even  those  who  reject 
much  of  the  New  Testament  as  not  authentic,  that  four 
of  St.  Paul  s  Epistles — Romans,  1  and  2  Corinthians,  and 
Galatians — -were  written  by  him.  They  fully  prove  that 
he  accepted  the  facts  of  the  Gospels,  especially  the  Resurrec¬ 
tion;  that  he  preached  what  is  now  regarded  as  the  doctrine 
Christ  taught ;  that  the  early  Christian  Church  was  founded 
on  the  basis  of  the  same  faith  which  he  professed;  there¬ 
fore  the  whole  of  the  New  Testament  came  forth  from 
Christ,  as  the  true  source  of  it. 

The  influence  of  Christ  on  His  followers  was  morally 
miraculous,  inasmuch  as  they  were  completely  delivered 
from  tlaeiv  popular  Jewish  prejudices  and  became  spiritually 
minded  men.  This  is  witnessed  by  the  fact  that  their 
preaching  was  distasteful  to  the  Jewish  authorities  of 
their  day,  and  that  the  Christian  Church  which  was 
founded  by  them,  in  Jerusalem,  and  other  places,  while 
largely  composed  of  those  who  were  Jews  by  nation,  and 


CONTRAST  BETWEEN  APOSTLES  AND  OTHERS.  27 

retaining  some  Jewish,  narrowness,  still  proclaimed  the 
gospel  to  the  world  as  a  doctrine  of  liberty  which  superseded 
the  Judaism  of  former  times. 

Another  evidence  of  the  power  which  Jesns  Christ 
exercised  on  His  Followers  is  seen  in  the  contrast  between 
the  apostles  and  those  who  immediately  succeeded  them, 
on  the  one  hand,  and,  on  the  other,  the  leaders  of  the 
Christian  Church  after  time  had  obscured  the  teaching  of 
the  first  disciples  to  some  extent.  When  we  compare  the 
writings  of  the  New  Testament  with  those  of  men  less 
under  the  influence  of  Christ,  such  as  Justin  Martyr  and 
Irenoeus,  Cyprian  and  Tertnllian,  Clement  of  Alexandria, 
and  Origen,  we  are  compelled  to  admit  that,  while  there 
is  intellectual  power  and  culture  in  the  later  writers, 
there  is  a  very  much  lower  degree  of  spiritual  enlighten- 
ment^  much  less  of  simplicity  and  sincerity,  and  much  more 
of  the  influence  of  merely  human  philosophy  and  current 
opinion.  In  other  words,  those  who  received  the  impression 
of  Christ’s  teaching  and  character  more  immediately  and 
purely,  who  reflect  it  more  accurately  in  their  writings, 
are  incalculably  superior  to  those  who,  being  farther  off 
from  Him,  have  less  of  His  Spirit  and  more  of  themselves 
in  their  writings.  This,  therefore,  argues  that  Christ 
Himself  must  have  been  not  less,  but  greater,  than  His 
followers. 

We  may  add  to  this  argument  the  consideration  of 
the  unity  of  representation,  which  we  find  in  the  New 
Testament,  in  the  variety  of  the  apostolic  character  and 
doctrine.  This  may  be  regarded  in  the  three  main  aspects 
of  the  early  Christian  thought  and  spirit,  expressed  by  the 
three  leading  apostles,  8t.  Peter,  St.  Paul,  and  St.  John. 
Bach  writes  from  his  own  standpoint ;  yet  their  doctrines 
do  not  in  the  least  clash  with  one  another,  but  perfectly 
harmonize.  The  Pauline  representation  of  Christ  and 
Christianity  is  much  more  theologically  developed  than 
that  of  the  first  and  second  Epistles  of  St.  Peter,  or  that 


28 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EV^IDENCE. 


which  we  find  in  the  first  few  chapters  of  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles  ;  bnt  when  we  compare  both  with  the  first  three 
Gospels,  we  find  that  the  centre  is  the  same,  though  the 
circumference  is  expanded;  and  when  we  place  the  Gospel 
and  Epistles  of  John  beside  the  three  first  Gospels  and 
the  writing's  of  Peter  and  Paul,  there  is  no  contradiction. 
The  central  facts  are  the  same,  only  that  they  are  set 
in  a  more  direct  light  of  Divine  glory ;  and  a  more  seer-lihe 
spirit,  in  the  apostle  John,  deals  with  the  truth  of  Christ’s 
words.  Is  it  possible  that  three  such  different  men  should 
have  written  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  expounded  His  doctrine, 
and  yet  have  remained  so  entirely  at  one  in  all  esse^itial 
matters,  unless  His  miuistry  had  been  what  it  is  represented 
to  have  been,  and  unless  He  had  been  Himself  above  man  ? 
It  should  be  remembered,  too,  that  in  the  case  of  the 
apostle  John,  there  was  very  little  which  could  be  ac¬ 
counted  extraneous  to  the  influence  of  Christ  upon  him. 
He  was  quite  a  young  man  when  Jesus  ascended  to 
heaven ;  he  remained  for  some  fifty  or  sixty  years  an 
apostle ;  his  writings  betray  no  perversion  of  his  Christian 
faith  or  of  the  simplicity  of  his  character ;  we  may,  with¬ 
out  going  beyond  the  evidence  of  the  facts,  say  of  him, 
that  the  whole  of  what  he  was  and  what  he  wrote  came 
forth,  like  a  flower  from  the  seed,  out  of  the  one  centre, 
the  influence  which  Jesus  exercised  upon  him,  during  the 
three  and  a  half  years  of  His  public  ministry.  Upon 
that  the  Spirit  of  God  wrought,  and  the  fruit  is  seen  in  the- 
apostle.  If  John  was  such  as  he  was  because  he  learned 
of  Jesus,  how  great  and  wonderful  must  Jesus  Himself  have 
been  ! 

5.  And  then,  lastly,  looking  at  the  four  Gospels  as  they 
stand  before  us,  so  perfectly  simple,  inartistic,  and  truthful, 
in  style  and  character,  they  must  be  admitted  to  bear 
witness  to  the  greatness  and  authority  of  Jesus  Christ. 
For  had  He  been  less,  they  would  certainly  have  been  more. 
If  the  writers  had  been  dealing  with  materials  which  they 


THE  GOSPELS  BEAR  WITNESS. 


29 


felt  were  mingled  with  falsehood  or  uncertainty ;  if  they 
had  been  telling  of  facts  which  they  themselves  only  half 
believed;  or  if  they  were  conscious  of  exaggeration,  of 
enthusiastic  idealism,  or  of  any  other  motive  which  led 
them  to  deal  with  what  they  had  artificially,  then  we 
should  trace  their  hand  in  the  narrative  quite  distinctly, 
as  we  do  in  some  of  the  classical  historians,  as  Thucydides 
and  Livy.  But  the  Gospels  seem  to  be  the  simplest  possible 
records  of  what  was  remembered  of  Jesus  and  His  teaching ; 
put  together  artlessly,  and  with  apparent  feeling  of  deep 
reverence  and  even  self- distrust ;  showing  that  the  majesty 
and  glory  of  Christ  had  impressed  His  disciples  to  such  an 
extent  that  they  would  not  dare  to  do  more  than  describe 
the  facts  and  record  the  words,  some  of  which  they  plainly 
did  not  perfectly  understand.  The  Divine  authority  of 
the  Saviour  shines  through  the  nao^es  of  the  evangelists, 
and  they  are  His  credentials. 


The  Credentials  of  Christianity  as  the  Religion 

of  the  Bible. 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  if  man  needs  a  special  Divine 
revelation,  such  a  revelation  will  be  given  to  him.  The 
need  is  proved  by  the  state  of  the  world  generally ;  by  the 
insufficiency  of  nature  apart  from  such  special  revelation ; 
by  the  confusion  and  uncertainty  in  men’s  thoughts ;  by 
the  corrupt  character  of  those  religions  which  were  either 
entirely  heathen  or  manifestly  perversions  of  that  which 
came  with  Divine  authority,  such  as  the  degenerate 
Judaism  of  the  Jewish  Rabbinical  schools,  and  Moham¬ 
medanism.  It  is  reasonable  that  the  Spirit  of  God  should 
move  and  work  with  especial  power  and  direct  teaching 
somewdiere  in  such  a  world,  that  there  should  be  a  true 
Light  to  be  found  in  the  midst  of  so  much  darkness  and 
error. 


30 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


The  history  wMcli  we  are  able  to  connect  with  the 
writings  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  sustains  the 
claim  which  they  make  to  be  received  as  forming  a  con¬ 
tinuous  course  of  special  Divine  communications,  begin¬ 
ning  in  remote  times,  culminating  in  the  personal  advent 
of  the  Son  of  God  and  the  foundation  of  the  Christian 
Church.  In  that  history  there  are  miraculous  events,  like 
the  deliverance  of  ancient  Israel  from  Egypt,  the  return 
of  the  exiles  from  Babylon,  and  the  Incarnation  of  the 
Son  of  God,  which,  like  solid  pillars,  hold  up  the  whole 
structure  of  Scripture.  The  facts  and  the  words  confirm 
one  another.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the  prophetic 
portions  of  the  Bible  as  compared  with  their  fulfilments. 
The  facts  cannot  be  disputed ;  the  words  can  be  proved  in 
many  cases  to  have  been  written  before  the  facts ;  they 
could  not  have  been  anticipations  due  to  mere  human 
wisdom  and  foresi^.jt,  they  must  have  been  the  effects 
of  the  Divine  Spirit  working  on  the  human  spirit.  More¬ 
over,  such  predictions  follow  one  another  age  after  age, 
from  the  remotest  times  down  to  the  time  of  Christ ;  and 
are  connected  with  a  line  of  good  men  who  appeared  in 
one  people  and  land,  where  very  much  of  the  Spirit  of 
God  manifested  itself,  and  Divine  teaching  was  much 
more  abundant  than  elsewhere  in  the  world.  We  may, 
therefore,  reasonably  conclude  that  the  books  which 
remain  to  us  from  the  Jewish  people,  intimately  connected 
together  as  they  are  by  one  unbroken  line  of  truth  and 
promise,  which  at  last  comes  forth  into  full  expression  in 
Jesus  Christ,  are  inspired  of. God;  that  is,  have  been  given 
to  the  world  with  His  special  authority  attached  to  them, 
for  the  purpose  of  forming  a  depositary  of  religious 
doctrine,  in  which  the  true  light  can  be  found,  and  which 
“maketh  wise  unto  salvation.” 

There  is  no  necessity,  while  accepting  this  position,  to 
commit  ourselves  to  any  definite  theory  as  to  the  method  of 
inspiration.  Holy  men  of  God  spake  as  they  were  moved 


THEORIES  OF  INSPIRATION  UNNECESSARY. 


31 


by  the  Holy  Ghost’’  (2  Pet.  i.  21).  The  mode  by  which 
the  Spirit  wrought  varied.  Some  writings  were  simply 
gathered  together  from  the  past ;  some  were  the  frnit  of 
immediate  spiritual  impulse ;  some  were  carefully  thought 
out  and  prepared  after  long  meditation.  But  the  one 
important  criterion  of  authority  was  the  writer’s  obedience 
to  a  Divine  command  to  set  down  that  which  was  given 
to  him  by  the  Spirit.  His  own  position  as  a  man  of  God, 
and  the  acknowledgment  of  that  position  by  the  men  of 
God  around  him  and  immediately  after  him,  must  be  our 
warrant  that  he  was  not  deceived,  and  that  what  he  has 
written  is  sanctioned  as  Divine.  It  cannot  be  denied  that 
both  the  ancient  Jewish  Church  in  receiving  the  books  of 
the  Old  Testament,  and  the  Christian  Church  in  putting 
together  the  books  of  the  New  Testament,  may  have  erred 
in  part ;  but  it  must  not  be  taken  for  granted  that  they 
have  done  so  Those  who  make  the  charge  are  bound  to 
prove  it.  At  present  there  are  very  few  of  the  books  of 
Scripture  which  have  not  commended  themselves  to  the 
world  as  worthy  of  the  place  assigned  them.  It  must  also 
be  admitted  that  the  inspiration  of  Scripture  cannot 
properly  mean  the  mechan'icat  d%ctat'ion  oj"  the  'woi  ds^  but 
the  presence  and  authority  of  the  Spirit  in  the  writings  as 
a  whole.  We  are  not  in  possession  of  sufficient  evidence 
to  be  able  to  prove  that  in  every  instance  we  have  the 
exact  words  which  were  first  written  dow^n.  But  the  mind 
of  the  Spirit  is  preserved,  and  the  end  of  revelation  is 
reached,  although  uncertainty  may  rest  upon  the  form  in 
which  it  is  conveyed. 

The  credentials  of  the  Bible  are  threefold:  (i.)  those 
which  certify  its  authenticity  ;  (ii.)  those  which  testify  to 
its  superhuman  authority;  fiii.)  those  which  prove  its 
superiority  as  adapted  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  man.  These 
we  will  briefly  describe,  reminding  the  reader  that  an 
outline  of  so  large  a  subject  is  alone  possible  within  our 

limited  space. 


32 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


1.  Gfedenticils  which  cevtify  the  authenticity  of  the  hoohs 
of  the  Bible. 

The  books  bear  upon  the  face  of  them  the  claim  to  be 
^iven  with  authority.  In  the  Old  Testament  the  books 
of  ]\IoseSj  'L.e,  the  first  five  books,  are  called  the  Law  j  they 
were  kept  in  the  ark  of  the  covenant  as  a  witness  (Deut. 
xxxi.  9,  26).  Samuel  wrote  the  manner  of  the  kingdom, 
and  laid  it  up  before  the  Lord  (1  Sam.  x.  25).  Solomon 
placed  the  books  of  Scripture  in  the  new  temple.  The 
people  are  invited  to  seeh  out  of  the  booh  of  the  Lord  and 
read''  (Isa.  xxxiv.  16).  Moreover,  in  several  places  it  is 
prescribed  as  a  duty  to  recite  the  Scriptures  publicly, 
which  implies  their  beiug  preserved  and  authenticated. 
Then,  again,  the  different  parts  of  Scripture  bear  witness 
to  the  rest — the  later  books  to  the  earlier,  the  New 
Testament  to  the  Old  Testament.  AVe  may  notice,  too 
such  expressions  as  the  following:  “The  Spirit  of  the 
Lord  spake  by  me,  and  His  word  was  in  my  tongue” 
(2  Sam.  xxiii.  2);  “Thus  saith  the  Lord;”  “The  word 
of  the  Lord  came  unto  me;”  “The  mouth  of  the  Lord 
hath  spoken  it”  (Jer.  i.  6;  Isa.  vi.  9;  Amos  iii.  7).  We 
know  that  the  Jews  were  exceedingly  careful  of  their 
sacred  writings,  and  in  remembrance  of  the  injunction 
(Deut.  iv.  2  ;  xii.  32)  could  neither  add  to  nor  take  from 
the  written  Word  except  under  the  manifest  command  of 
the  Spirit.  That  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  recognized  the 
authority  of  the  Old  Testament  is  evident  from  such 
passages  as  John  v.  89;  Matt.  xxii.  29;  Luke  xxiv.  27, 
and  others.  The  New  Testament  winters  frequently  quote 
from  the  books  of  the  Old  Testament  as  the  Word  of  God. 
By  the  side  of  this  evidence  from  the  books  themselves 
may  be  placed  the  fact  that  a  number  of  books,  now 
collected  in  the  Apocrypha,  were  in  use  among  the  Jews 
for  centuries  after  the  last  of  the  prophets  wrote,  but 
were  never  regarded  as  sacred  Scripture  by  the  Jews  of 
Palestine,  nor  by  the  New  Testament  writers.  After  the 


AUTHENTICITY  OF  THE  SCRIPTURES, 


33 


time  of  the  return  of  the  Jews  from  Babylon  synagogue 
worship  prevailed,  and  copies  of  the  sacred  books  became 
common.  The  persecution  under  Antiochus  Epiphanes 
(168  B.C.)  promoted  the  preservation  of  that  which  main¬ 
tained  the  life  of  Judaism.  It  is  known  that  from  that 
time  the  books  were  put  together  as  a  single  volume,  and 
regarded  as  a  Bible.  The  Greek  translation  of  the  Old 
Testament,  called  the  Septuagint  (made  about  285  B.C.), 
probably  included  in  the  first  form  of  it 'no  more  than  the 
books  which  we  acknowledge  as  the  Word  of  God,  though 
in  subsequent  editions  other  uninspired  books  were  added. 
There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  Jewish  schools  of  scribes 
gave  the  greatest  attention  to  the  preservation  of  the 
sacred  books  for  many  centuries.  Erom  the  sixth  to  the 
ninth  century  of  the  Christian  era  the  scholars  called 
Masoretes,  the  authors  of  a  collection  of  traditional  read¬ 
ings  called  Masora,  devoted  themselves  with  immense 
learning  and  assiduity  to  ascertaining  the  exact  text  of 
the  Old  Testament;  and  they  were  followed  by  gram¬ 
marians  and  expositors  who  confirmed  the  results  ob¬ 
tained  by  their  predecessors.  The  testimony  of  individuals 
is  also  of  great  weight,  as  that  of  Josephus  (a.d.  37—97), 
and  that  of  Philo- Judaeus,  the  Alexandrian,  contemporary 
with  our  Lord ;  both  used  the  Old  Testament  as  we  now 
receive  it,  and  never  attached  the  authority  of  Scripture 
to  the  uninspired  writings,  such  as  are  found  in  the 
Apocrypha. 

In  the  case  of  the  Hew  Testament  the  evidence  is  that 
of  manuscripts,  catalogues,  versions,  and  quotations.  Our 
manuscripts  do  not  go  back  farther  than  the  fourth 
century  (the  Sinaitic  and  the  Vatican)  ;  others,  such  as 
the  Alexandrian,  in  the  British  Museum,  that  of  Ephraem, 
and  that  of  Beza,  are  from  the  fifth  to  the  seventh  century. 
But  while  these  copies  of  the  original  books  were  made 
centuries  later  than  the  books  themselves,  we  possess  early 
catalogues  of  the  books  of  the  Hew  Testament,  which  show 


34 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


wlist  WGPG  in  nsG,  sncli  ns  thG  Miimtorimi  FrngniGnt  ** 
(a.d.  160-170),  confirming  most  of  tliG  books.  The 
Versions,  or  translations  from  tho  Greek  into  other  lan¬ 
guages,  are  some  of  them  very  early,  as  the  ancient  Syriac 
or  Peshito,  in  the  second  century,  and  the  early  Latin  or 
Itala.  And  then,  lastly,  the  writings  of  early  Christian 
fathers  contain  quotations  from  the  sacred  books  which, 
although  loosely  made,  still  substantially  agree  "with  our 
text  of  the  Scriptures.  This  evidence  can  be  followed  in 
respect  to  each  separate  book  of  the  New  Testament,  by 
consulting  such  a  work  as  Alford’s  Greek  Testament.  In 
the  case  of  the  four  Gospels,  which  is  much  the  most 
important  part  of  the  subject,  as  the  attacks  of  adverse 
critics  have  been  chiefly  directed  to  them,  the  labours  of 
Dr.  Sandaij,  in  his  work  on  “  The  Gospels  in  the  Second 
Century,”  have  abundantly  established  the  authenticity 
of  our  Gospels  in  substantially  the  same  text  as  that  we 
possess.  The  references  to  St.  Paul’s  Epistles  among  the 
Christian  writers  of  the  second  century  are  frequent,  and 
it  is  impossible  to  doubt  that  most  of  them  were  at  that 
time  universally  acknowledged  to  be  genuine.  No  critic 
of  any  standing  now  hesitates  to  accept  Homans,  1  and  2 
Corinthians,  and  Galatians.  Marcion,  the  heretic,  pub¬ 
lished  a  collection  of  sacred  books,  which  he  called  “  The 
Gospel  and  “  The  Apostle  ”  (Apostolicon),  probably 
about  A.D.  140,  and  in  those  books  he  conflrms  the  use  of 
the  Gospel  of  Luke  and  of  all  the  Epistles  of  St.  Paul, 
except  those  to  Timothy  and  Titus,  and  Hebrews.  The 
heathen  writer,  Celsus,  who  lived  probably  about  the 
same  time,  was  familiar  with  the  Gospels ;  and  another 
heathen  writer,  Lucian,  refers  to  the  writings  of  the 
apostle  Paul. 

The  most  determined  opposition  of  the  unbelievers, 
however,  has  been  to  the  fourth  Gospel,  partly,  no  doubt, 
from  its  character  as  bearing  witness  to  the  Divine 
authority  of  Jesus  Christ.  It  has  been  asserted  that  the 


RATIONALISTIC  SCHOOLS  OF  GERMANY. 


35 


preface,  or  prologue,  on  tlie  Word,  or  Logos  (cli.  i.  1—14), 
must  have  been  written  by  an  Alexandrian  philosopher, 
and  that  the  whole  Gospel  must  have  been  put  together 
some  time  in  the  second  century.  But  when  the  question 
is  asked.  By  whom?  no  name  can  be  suggested.  Justin 
Martyr  evidently  used  it,  and  refers  to  it  as  part  of  Scrip¬ 
ture.  No  Christian  would  dare  to  forge  the  name  of  John 
the  apostle.  No  heretic  or  unbeliever  would  be  capable  of 
composing  such  a  work,  neither  could  he  have  gained  for 
it  the  authorization  of  the  Christian  Church  of  that  time. 
Moreover,  it  should  be  remembered,  that  the  uncertainty, 
if  any,  ceases  about  a.d.  170,  when  the  quotations  from  the 
Gospel,  and  references  to  it,  became  so  abundant  that  no 
one  can  doubt  that  its  authority  was  universally  ac¬ 
knowledged.  “  The  chain  of  evidence  is  complete  and 
continuous.  Not  one  historical  doubt  is  raised  from  any 
quarter,  and  the  lines  of  evidence  converge  towards  the 
point  where  the  Gospel  was  written,  and  from  which  it 
was  delivered  to  the  Churches  ”  (Westcott,  “Bible  in  the 

Church”). 

The  rationalistic  school  of  Germany,  represented  by 
Baur,  Schenkel,  Strauss,  Keim,  Hausrath,  and  others,  have 
applied  their  own  philosophical  conceptions  to  the  New 
Testament,  and  attempted  to  draw  from  it  an  explanation 
of  the  facts  of  early  Christian  history,  without  admitting 
miracles  or  the  Divine  character  of  Jesus  Christ,  but  they 
have  failed,  either  to  meet  the  undoubted  demands  of 
historical  consistency,  or  to  put  together  a  valid  theory 
which  commends  itself  to  common  sense.  We  cannot, 
in  this  place,  describe  their  failure  fully.  The  admixture, 
they  are  compelled  to  suppose,  of  conscious  fraud  and 
untruthfulness,  in  the  Gospel  narratives,  cannot  be  re¬ 
conciled  with  the  character  of  the  first  Christians,  or 
with  the  spiritual  power  manifested  in  the  early  Church. 
The  date  of  the  New  Testament  is  now  ascertained  to  be 
at  least  within  forty  years  of  the  death  of  Christ.  That 


36 


PUIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


would  not  allow  sufficient  time  for  myths  and  legends  and 
superstitious  exagg-erations  to  have  grown  up,  as  they 
suppose,  around  a  small  substratum  of  historical  fact.  It 
is  certain  that  some  disciples  were  alive  when  the  Gospels 
were  written  5  and  they  could  not  have  been  deceived  by 
idle  tales  and  ‘  cunningly  devised  j^uhles,’’  The  apostle 
John  lived  to  the  end  of  the  first  century  ;  he  would  never 
have  sanctioned  the  use  of  Gospels  which  falsified  the  facts. 
He  himself  wrote  his  own  Gospel  to  supplement  the  other 
three,  and  that  was  a  sufficient  proof  that  he  accepted 
them  as  an  accurate  account  of  the  Lord’s  history,  so  far 
as  they  went.  When  he  wrote  his  Gospel  the  Christian 
Church  had  been  using  the  first  three  Gospels  for  many 
years ;  and  the  substance  of  what  they  contained  had  been 
preached,  over  and  over  again,  both  by  the  apostles  and  by 
others,  forming  the  foundation  on  which  the  communities 
of  Christians  had  been  built  up.  An  attempt  has  been 
made,  in  the  anonymous  work,  “  Supernatural  Religion,” 
to  invalidate  the  authority  of  the  hTew  Testament  5  but 
it  has  signally  failed  The  writer  admits  that  his  principal 
aim  is  to  remove  from  Scripture  all  that  bears  witness  to 
the  supernatural,  and  to  retain  nothing  beyond  the  general 
moral  teaching  which  is  included  in  Christianity.  Such  a 
spirit  is  not  candid  and  fair.  Let  the  writings  be  first 
proved  authentic,  and  then  let  their  teaching  be  studied 
in  itself.  Benan,  the  French  critic,  admits  that  he  cannot 
overthrow  the  argument  for  the  early  date  of  the  Gospels, 
while  he  refuses  to  accept  the  Christian  Creed.  His 
attempt  to  reconstruct  the  Life  of  Jesus”  and  the  history 
of  the  early  Church,  on  the  basis  of  his  own  conception  of 
what  must  have  been  the  facts,  has  only  contributed  to 
elucidate  the  superhuman  element,  by  showing  that  it 
cannot  be  dispensed  with. 

2.  Gredentials  which  certify  the  superhuman  authority  of 
the  Bible.  These  may  be  summed  up  briefly,  as  follows : — (a) 
The  books  cover  a  period  of  fifteen  hundred  years ;  during 


•  sUrEllIIUMAN  AUTHORITY  OF  THE  BIRLE.  o7 

the  whole  of  that  time  there  was  a  connected  series  of  events 
with  which  the  teaching  of  the  Bible  corresponds  in  a 
manner  so  remarkable  that  it  could  not  be  mere  chance, 
must  have  been  divinely  appointed.  There  were  miracles 
which  were  essentially  included  in  these  events,  such  as 
the  deliverance  of  Israel  from  Egypt,  the  establishment  of 
the  twelve  tribes  in  Palestine,  the  ministries  of  Elijah  and 
Elisha,  the  restoration  of  the  Jews  from  Babylon,  the 
advent  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  ministry  of  the  apostles.  ^iV^e 
cannot  explain  any  one  of  these  without  the  others ;  the 
Bible  is  a  series  of  writings  closely  connected  together  by 
a  unity  of  'purpose  and  meaning  which  reflects  the  unity  of 
providential  appointment.  The  authority  of  the  books, 
therefore,  was  not  the  authority  of  the  writers  alone,  but 
of  Him  who  ordered  the  events  out  of  which  the  books 
came,  of  Him  who  maintained  the  continuous  line  of 
redeeming  grace,  which  we  can  discern  along  the  history 
of  the  people  of  Israel,  from  the  time  of  Moses  to  the  rise 
of  the  Christian  Church,  (h)  There  a  miraculous  fore¬ 
sight  in  the  predictions,  which  are  found  in  most  of  the 
books  of  the  Bible.  Such  predictions  could  not  have  been 
mere  anticipations  of  the  future  by  the  power  of  human 
intellect;  nor  can  we  compare  them  with  any  merely 
human  speculations  on  the  tendencies  of  things,  or  heathen 
oracles,  or  wise  forecastings.  They  are  clear  and  definite, 
and,  as  time  went  on,  they  became  clearer  and  fuller,  while 
preserving  the  same  central  meaning.  The  promise  of  a 
Redeemer  is  found  in  the  records  of  man’s  fall  in  Genesis  ; 
it  is  repeated  through  all  the  books  of  the  Old  Testament; 
and  in  the  writings  of  the  prophets,  six  hundred  years 
before  the  advent  of  the  Messiah,  it  is  dwelt  upon  very 
largely,  the  person  and  the  work  of  the  Redeemer  being 
describ 'd,  and  even  the  place  where  He  should  be  born, 
and  the  time  when  He  should  appear.  The  prophecies 
which  we  find  in  Isaiah  and  Daniel  and  Micah,  could  not 
have  been  written  had  they  not  been  preceded  by  others, 


38 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


sucli  as  we  find  in  the  Psalms,  and  in  the  Pentateuch. 
A.nd  if  it  be  objected  that  we  are  apt  to  read  into  the  words 
a  deeper  meaning  than  they  were  intended  by  the  writers 
to  convey,  it  should  be  remembered  that  the  Messianic 
tTadition  was  handed  down  among  the  Jews  from  the 
earliest  times.  Indeed,  it  may  be  said  that  the  whole 
Mosaic  system  rested  upon  the  promise  of  a  Redeemer ;  it 
was  “  a  shadow  of  good  things  to  come.'''  The  people  always 
expected  a  great  prophet,  who  should  effect  for  them  a 
greater  deliverance  than  that  which  rescued  them  from 
Egypt.  The  prophets  called  them  from  their  idolatry  and 
from  their  formality,  not  to  a  mere  morality  or  a  purer 
form  of  worship,  but  to  wait  for  the  appearing  of  the  Messiah; 
hence,  when  Jesus  came  there  was  a  prevalent  expectation 
that  prophecies  were  about  to  be  fulfilled.  We  cannot,  in 
this  place,  attempt  to  give  examples  of  fulfilled  predictions. 
The  fact  that  the  Bible  is  so  full  of  prophecy,  and  that,  at 
all  events,  the  general  scope  and  most  essential  meaning 
of  such  prophecies  has  been  realized,  proves  that  the  books, 
written  during  fifteen  hundred  years,  and  all  connected 
together  by  the  one  purpose  of  Redemption,  could  not 
have  proceeded  from  human  sources  alone,  (c)  Putting 
the  books  of  the  Bible  side  hy  side  with  heathen  and  un¬ 
inspired  writings  of  the  same  periods,  and  keeping  in  mind 
the  circumstances  in  which  the  Jewish  people  were  placed, 
it  seems  impossible  to  gainsay  the  superhuman  origin  of 
the  sacred  writings.  There  is  an  entire  absence  of  supersti¬ 
tion,  a  perfect  simplicity  purity  of  aim,  a  very  elevated 
spiritual  feeling  in  many  places,  a  depth  of  meaning,  which 
wonderfully  contrasts  with  the  superficiality  and  emptiness 
in  most  of  the  writings  of  the  heathen  world  on  moral 
subjects,  and,  above  all,  while  reflecting  the  facts  of  Jewish 
history  and  life,  a  superiority  to  Jewish  narrowness  and 
bigotry.  How  is  it  that  the  very  best  of  all  the  Jewish 
writings  should  be  thus  put  together,  and  that  nothing 
should  be  found  mingled  with  them  which  is  unworthy  of 


THE  BIBLE  BETTER  THAN  HEATHEN  WRITINGS. 


39 


bGiTig  preserved,  so  that  tlie  Old  Testameiit  and  the  New 
Testament  confirm  and  vindicate  one  anotlier  in  so  marvel¬ 
lous  a  manner  ?  Can  such  a  fact  be  explained  except  on 
the  ground  that  the  books  were  inspired ;  that  a  special 
providential  guardianship  watched  over  both  the  writers 
and  that  which  they  wrote  ;  and  that  the  Spirit  of  God 
guided  the  minds  of  those  to  whom  the  writings  were  sent, 
that  they  should  keep  tliem  uncorrupted  and  hand  them 
down  in  their  integrity,  separated  from  the  mass  of  error 
and  folly  surrounding  them  ?  When  we  examine  the 
books  of  heathen  religions  we  find  that,  while  the  earliest 
are  comparatively  pure  and  lofty  in  their  teaching,  the 
later  are  full  of  corruption  and  superstition  ;  it  is  not  so 
with  the  books  of  the  Bible.  The  writings  of  the  prophets 
were  produced,  many  of  them,  in  the  most  corrupt  ages  of 
the  Jewish  history  5  but  they  bear  witness  to  that  corrup¬ 
tion  only  by  reproving  and  condemning  it.  The  religious 
practices  of  the  Jews  were  superstitious  and  formal,  in  the 
days  of  Isaiah,  Jeremiah,  and  Ezekiel,  but  there  is  no 
departure  in  the  words  of  the  prophets  from  the  oiiginal 
strictness  of  the  Eaw  ;  ‘the  aim  of  the  later  writers  is  to 
bring  back  the  people  to  the  faith  from  which  they  had 
fallen  away,  and  hold  up  to  view  the  purpose  of  Redeeming 
Love.  So,  again,  in  the  Bible  there  is  one  consistent  rule  of 
moral  doctrine  in  all  the  variety  found  there,  from  Moses 
to  Christ ;  but  in  heathen  writings  there  is  confusion  and 
uncertainty  :  while  in  the  highest  specimens  of  philosophical 
thought,  such  as  the  writings  of  Plato,  we  find  abundant 
evidences  of  the  practical  powerlessness  of  the  religious 
systems  out  of  which  such  writings  sprang.  The  heathen 
writers,  if  they  wrote  noble  and  pure  sentiments,  proposed 
no  remedies  for  the  moral  evils  which  their  own  writings 
admit  to  be  prevalent  around  them.  The  Jewish  writings 
not  only  condemn  the  evil,  but  promise  deliverance  from 
it.  Such  books  were  not  the  mere  products  of  intellectual 
superiority  and  exceptional  goodness  in  individuals  ^  they 


40 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


point  to  tte  presence  and  work  of  the  Spirit  of  God  in  a 
body  of  believers,  preserved  by  special  Divine  grace  in  the 
midst  of  the  nation.  There  is  no  such  fact  testified  in  the 
remains  of  heathen  wiitings,  such  as  we  possess ;  we  may, 
therefore,  fairly  reason,  that  the  Bible  is  the  outcome  ol 
an  exceptional  bestowment  of  spiritual  communications, 
with  which  there  is  no  parallel  elsewhere  in  the  world. 
[This  view  is  very  fully  exemplified  by  Prof.  Henry 
Rogers,  in  his  work,  “The  Superhuman  Origin  of  the 
Bible  proved  from  Itself.”]  {d)  The  Bible  culminates  in 
Jesus  Christ.  It  is  authorized  by  its  own  completeness. 
It  is  not  a  mere  aggregate  of  disconnected  fragments. 
The  books  of  the  New  Testament  set  before  us  a  Divine 
F  irson,  a  perfect  rule  of  life,  a  body  of  doctrine,  a  way  of 
.  ilvation,  leaving  nothing  to  be  added,  in  after  times,  in 
che  form  of  revelation.  Christianity  is  lot  what  un¬ 
inspired  writers  have  chosen  to  represent  it  to  be,  or  what 
may  have  been  developed  historically  out  of  the  first  be¬ 
ginnings  of  the  Christian  Church,  but  what  is  embodied 
in  the  twenty-seven  books  of  the  New  Testament.  The 
test  of  a  practical  application  of  that  New  Testament 
Christianity,  suffices  to  show  that  the  writings  could  not 
have  proceeded  from  merely  human  sources.  When  we 
compare  the  books  of  the  New  Testament  with  those 
which  were  written  only  a  few  years,  or  a  few  generations, 
after  the  last  of  the  apostles,  St.  John,  was  taken  away, 
we  recognize  the  immeasurable  superiority  of  the  sacred 
writings.  Such  a  fact  points  to  the  completeness  of  the 
revelation  in  the  ministries  of  Jesus  Christ  and  His 
apostles.  The  Word  of  Life  came  in  the  Saviour  Himself. 
Those  who  saw  with  their  eyes,  beheld,  ha^idled  with  their 
hands,  that  which  was  from  the  beginning  ”  (I  John  i.  I,  2), 
simply  bore  witness,  expounding  and  declaring  the  Word. 
They  added  nothing  to  what  Jesus  Himself  taught,  but 
they  unfolded  it  more  explicitly.  The  kingdom  of  heaven 
was  thus  opened.  When  it  was  opened  there  was  no 


THE  BIBLE  ADArO'ED  TO  MAN. 


41 


addition  made  to  it.  And  tliat  manifest  completeness  is 
itself  a  Divine  evidence  of  the  authority  of  that  which 
makes  up  the  whole. 

3.  Credentials  of  the  Bible  in  its  adaptation  to  the 
spiritual  wants  of  man. 

No  religion  can  meet  such  wants  which  is  not  mani¬ 
festly  above  the  level  of  ordinary  human  life  in  its  moral 
and  spiritual  teaching.  There  must  not  only  be  some 
elements  of  higher  doctrine  included  in  it,  but  there  must 
be  no  compromise  of  moral  truth  and  law  to  suit  the  weak¬ 
ness  and  corruption  of  men.  Heathen  religions  have  failed 
to  elevate  mankind,  because  they  were  impure  and  re¬ 
flected  men’s  own  evil  tendencies. 

(I.)  Substance.  There  must  be  in  that  which  professes 
to  come  with  Divine  authority,  (i.)  a  representation  of  the 
character  and  ways  of  God  which  leads  man  to  a  pure  and 
spiritual  worship ;  (ii.)  a  declaration  of  the  will  and  law  of 
God  such  as  confirms  the  dictates  of  the  moral  nature  and 
purges  the  conscience  from  dead  works  ;  (iii.)  a  proclama¬ 
tion  of  peace  and  reconciliation,  opening  the  way  to  a 
cheerful  and  grateful  obedience  to  Divine  commandments ; 
(iv.)  a  promise  of  new  strength  and  happiness,  to  en¬ 
courage  the  weak  and  to  animate  the  heart  with  hope  in 
anticipation  of  the  future.  All  these  are  found  in  the 
Bible,  and  are  certainly  not  found  elsewhere. 

(II.)  Form.  The  book  which  meets  the  spiritual  wants 
of  man  must  be  one  which  comes  to  him  in  a/orm  adapted 
to  touch  his  sympathies  and  win  his’^confidence.  It  must  not 
be  in  a  philosophical  shape,  otherwise  the  few  alone  will 
understand  it,  and  the  many  will  remain  indifferent  to  it. 
It  must  not  be  a  mere  collection  of  moral  sayings,  otherwise 
it  will  become  antiquated,  and  fail  to  touch  the  heart.  It 
must  not  be  the  product  of  mere  human  genius,  either  of 
one  mind  or  of  many  minds,  speaking  only  from  them¬ 
selves,  for  then  it  would  be  apt  to  be  eclipsed  or  super¬ 
seded  by  other  similar  productions  in  the  course  of  time. 


42 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


Ifc  ouglit  to  be  mainly  historical ,  it  should  describe  the 
facts  of  Divine  dealing  with  mankind;  it  should  appeal 
from  human  experience  to  human  experience ;  and  it  should 
be  written  by  men  of  like  passions  and  infirmities  with 
others,  so  that  its  language  shall  be  the  language  of 
common  life,  and  yet,  as  used  by  those  who  themselves 
were  filled  with  the  Spirit  of  God,  language  steeped  in 
spiritual  meaning  and  reality.  And,  lastly,  there  must  be 
in  the  book  which  claims  to  be  Divine  in  its  authority,  a 
breadth  and  universality  which  adapts  it  to  all  classes  and 
conditions  of  men.  It  must  come  out  of  a  particular 
nation,  otherwise  it  would  lack  definiteness  and  decision ; 
but  it  must  not  inculcate  a  merely  national  religion.  It 
must  bear  upon  its  surface  the  marks  of  its  origin  as  a 
historical  religion ;  but  the  substance  of  it  must  be  so 
thoroughly  human  and  cosmopolitan,  that  the  merely  super¬ 
ficial  features,  which  may  be  reflections  of  a  time  and 
people  gone  by,  can  be  set  aside  for  the  sake  of  that  which 
is  essential. 

Now,  if  we  examine  any  of  the  heathen  systems,  or 
Mohammedanism,  we  find  that  there  is  very  little  in  them 
which  can  be  adapted  to  universal  use.  They  are  so 
full  of  that  which  is  sprung  from  human  error,  custom, 
superstition,  and  local  prejudice,  that  to  attempt  to  make 
them  cosmopolitan  would  be  an  utter  failure.  But  while 
the  Bible  is  from  the  Jews,  and  describes  Jewish  history 
and  Jewish  law,  and  the  faith  which  grew  up  in  Palestine, 
still  it  is  pervaded,  from  beginning  to  end,  with  a  spirit 
of  humanity  and  universalism :  it  proclaims,  from  the  first, 
a  message  of  salvation  for  all  the  families  of  the  earth; 
it  describes  a  Divine  method  of  procedure,  which  led  to 
the  preaching  of  the  gospel  to  all  the  world;  and  it 
concludes  with  a  prediction  of  universal  blessedness. 
Moreover,  it  is  a  fact,  that  men  of  “  every  nation  under 
heaven”  have  accepted  this  message  of  life;  and  that 
the  religious  character  which  has  grown  up  from  this 


UNIVERSALITY  OF  THE  BIBLE. 


43 


same  seed  of  Bible  truth,  sown  in  all  parts  of  the  world, 
corresponds,  in  the  main  elements  of  it,  notwithstanding 
all  the  variety  of  nationality  and  external  circumstances. 
The  true  believer  in  the  Bible  is  everywhere  substantially 
the  same,  that  is,  a  man  somewhat  resembling  Jesus  Christ, 
whose  character,  it  is  admitted  on  all  hands,  was  perfection. 
The  book  which  by  its  influence  tends  to  produce  men  and 
women  like  Jesus  Christ  carries  its  own  authority  with  it. 

Nor  will  it  avail  the  objector  to  set  over  against  this 
evidence  the  imperfections  and  inconsistencies  of  professed 
Christians.  For  they  themselves  will  be  the  first  to  admit 
that  they  are  faulty  representatives  of  the  Bible.  A  law  is 
not  invalidated  by  the  fact  that  those  who  live  where  it  is 
acknowledged  are  condemned  by  it.  Even  though  the  law 
should  fail  of  vindication  for  lack  of  external  authority, 
that  would  not  prove  that  the  law  itself  was  not  good. 
That  the  Bible  has  not  yet  accomplished  its  work  in  the 
world  is  no  argument  against  its  Divine  origin  We  are 
poor  judges  of  the  course  of  events.  The  influences  which 
we  are  unable  to  trace  sometimes  reveal  themselves  where 
we  thought  they  were  not ;  and  issues  come  forth  which 
astonish  us,  because  we  have  not  known  that  they  were 
being  prepared.  The  Bible-lands,  where  the  authority 
of  the  Scriptures  is  acknowledged,  Europe,  Australia, 
America,  the  islands  of  the  Pacific,  and  the  countries 
where  Christian  missionaries  have  planted  the  gospel, 
contain  the  best  specimens  of  humanity  and  lead  the 
world  in  all  that  is  great  and  good.  No  other  religion  has 
produced  such  men,  or  is  able  to  produce  them. 


The  Credentials  of  Christianity  as  the  Religion 
of  the  Christian  Church. 

The  word  “  Church  ”  may  be  differently  defined ;  but 
there  are  included  in  it  the  following  chief  facts  :  (i.) 
the  meeting  fogetJieT  from  time  to  time  for  religious 


44 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


worsliip  of  tliosG  wh.0  hold  certain  conunoii  beliefs ;  (iiO 
the  public  profession  of  faith  on  the  part  of  individuals, 
separating  themselves  from  others  who  make  no  such 
profession,  and  making  their  profession  of  faith  the  basis 
of  their  life;  (iii.)  observance  of  two  leading  rites,  bap¬ 
tism  and  the  Lord's  Supper — the  one  representing  the 
commencement  of  the  Christian  life,  and  the  other  fel¬ 
lowship  and  faithfulness.  We  need  not  go  further  in 
describing  the  Christian  Church.  All  questions  of  creed 
and  Church  government  may  be  left  unanswered  in  this 
argument.  It  is  certain  that  there  were  many  corruptions 
of  doctrine  and  practice,  which  grew  up  in  the  course 
of  the  centuries  after  the  time  of  the  apostles.  They 
attached  themselves  firmly  to  the  systems  which  were 
maintained  among  Christians  ;  but  it  does  not  follow 
that  they  were  in  any  proper  sense  to  be  ascribed  to  the 
Christian  Church,  as  Christ  Himself  founded  it  in  the 
world.  What  we  must  insist  upon,  however,  is  this,  that 
(i.)  there  was  a  living  root  of  Christianity  growing,  before 
there  were  false  growths  attached  to  it ;  (ii.)  that  the 
Church  of  the  Middle  Ages  could  not  have  existed  had  it 
not  been  preceded  by  the  Church  of  the  first  three  centuries; 
and  (iii.)  that  the  Church  of  the  second  and  third  centuries, 
while  including  in  itself  very  much  that  was  due  to  the 
men  and  the  times  through  which  it  lived,  and  much 
which  was  not  properly  sanctioned  by  Christ,  could  not 
have  existed  had  it  not  been  preceded  by  the  Church  of  the 
apostles  and  their  contemporaries.  We  can  fairly  separate, 
therefore,  the  apostolic  elements  in  the  faith  and  practice 
of  Christendom  from  the  rest,  and  trace  them  back  to 
the  first  beginnings  of  Christianity  ;  and  the  result  of  that 
process  is  to  prove  that  all  that  is  essential  to  the  Christian 
religion  is  historically  confirmed ;  and  that  beyond  all 
reasonable  doubt. 

1.  The  Emperor  Constantine  was  converted  to  Chris¬ 
tianity  about  A.D.  312.  He  made  Christianity  the  religion 


THE  EARLY  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 


45 


of  tlie  Homan  Empire.  He  could  not  have  done  so  had 
there  not  been  at  that  time  a  hodij  of  doctrine  and  a 
customary  form  of  worship  which  Avere  identified  with  the 
name  of  Christians.  However  Ave  describe  the  Christian 
Church  of  Constantine’s  time,  it  is  certain  that  the 
folloAving  leading  features  of  it  came  doAvn  from  the  days 
of  the  apostles  :  (i.)  Jesus  Ghrist  was  believed  to  be  the 
Saviour  of  the  world,  and  the  representation  given  of  Him 
in  the  Hew  Testament  was  generally  accepted,  (ii.)  The 
tAvo  Christian  rites  of  baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper  Avere 
observed  from  the  beginning,  and  were  taken  to  mean 
a  new  birth  and  a  new  life,  which  new  birth  and  new  life 
are  tanght  in  the  Hew  Testament.  Whether  the  views 
held  of  the  rites  corresponded  with  those  taught  by  the 
apostles  or  not,  it  does  not  concern  us  to  decide.  The 
fact  of  the  continued  observance  of  the  rites  can  only  be 
accounted  for  by  the  tradition  Avhich  came  down  from 
the  time  of  Christ,  (hi.)  The  really  devont  and  sincere 
Christians  were  remarkable  for  their  self-denial,  bene¬ 
volence,  and  hopefulness,  and  were  distinguished  by  their 
moral  character  generally,  from  their  contemporaries ; 
they  professed  to  follow  the  example  of  Jesus  Ghrist  and 
the  rule  laid  down  in  the  New  Testament ;  and  many  of 
them  died  to  prove  their  faithfulness  to  the  Christian 
standard.  They  could  not  have  learned  such  a  life  from 
the  example  of  their  neighbours,  nor  from  the  writings 
of  heathen  teachers,  which,  while  they,  in  some  cases, 
inculcated  moral  goodness,  fell  very  far  short  of  the  Hew 
Testament,  How,  it  must  be  remembered  that,  while  in 
three  centuries  Christians  multiplied  to  such  an  extent 
that  at  last  the  very  Empire  of  Rome  itself  became 
nominally  Christian,  still  there  was  nothing  to  account 
for  this  spread  of  Christianity  but  the  fact  that  men  were 
persuaded  to  accept  it;  that  is  to  say,  the  influence  of  the 
facts  and  doctrines  obtained  poAver  over  their  thoughts  and 
lives :  as  Gibbon,  the  sceptical  historian,  has  expressed  it. 


46 


1>R1MER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


“  a  pure  and  humble  religion  gently  insinuated  itself  into 
the  minds  of  men,  grew  up  in  silence  and  obscurity,  derived 
new  vigour  from  opposition,  and  finally  erected  the  trium¬ 
phant  banner  of  the  Gross  on  the  ruins  of  the  Oapitol.”  It 
may  be  quite  true  that  God  prepared  the  way  for  this 
triumph  of  Christianity,  both  by  the  rum  of  the  heathen 
world  and  by  the  work  of  His  Spirit  in  many  different 
forms  upon  the  thoughts  of  men  ;  but  the  fact  remains 
indisputable  that  there  could  not  have  been  the  spread 
of  the  doctrine  unless  the  doctrine  had  been  in  existence, 
and  had  come  down  from  the  time  of  the  apostles,  and 
unless  the  foundation  of  historical  truth  had  been  first 
laid  in  the  events  of  the  Saviour's  history. 

2.  The  Christian  Church  of  the  second  century  bears 
abundant  witness  to  the  truth  and  authenticity  of  the 
Hew  Testament  Scriptures.  Wo  select  out  of  a  great 
many  instances  a  few  which  will  serve  to  show  that  those 
Scriptures  were  known  and  read  in  different  parts  of  the 
world,  e.g.  Asia  Minor,  Italy,  I'rance,  and  Syria, 

(i.)  Asia  Minor.  We  open  the  writings  of  Justin 
Martyr, 'ssAio  was  born  about  a.d.  87  at  Flavia  Neapolis  (now 
Hablous  near  tbe  ancient  Sychem)  in  Palestine,  and  lived 
much  of  his  life  in  Ephesus,  where  the  apostle  John 
taught,  and  which  was  a  kind  of  capital  city,  commanding 
by  its  influence  an  immense  district  of  Asia  ;  in  tbese 
writings  we  find  abundant  evidence  that  the  Gospels 
were  familiarly  known  and  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old 
and  Hew  Testaments  read.  Justin  defends  the  Christians 
from  the  false  charges  made  against  them  to  the  Roman 
emperors  of  that  time  (Antoninus  and  Marcus  Aurelius). 
The  date  of  these  writings  is  about  A.D.  150.  So  that  a 
writer  in  the  midst  of  the  second  century  bears  witness  to 
the  use  of  the  Scriptures  in  Asia  Minor  at  that  time.  He 
points  to  fulfilment  of  ancient  prophecy  in  Jesus  Christ, 
and  describes  fully  the  two  Christian  rites  of  baptism  and 
the  Lord’s  Supper,  and  the  meetings  held  on  the  Lord’s 


EVIDENCE  .OF  THE  SECOND  CENTURY. 


47 


day.  He  holds  a  dialogue  with  a  Jew,  Trypho,  in  which  he 
quotes  largely  from  the  Old  Testament,  and  compares  it 
with  the  records  of  the  Gospels.  He  refers  to  all  the  facts 
of  the  Lord’s  life  and  death.  He  confirms  all  the  four 
Gospels,  more  or  less  distinctly.  He  mentions  some  of  the 
other  books  of  the  hfew  Testament,  as  e.g.  Revelation, 
Romans,  1  Corinthians,  2  Thessalonians,  Colossians, 
Hebrews,  Acts ;  everywhere  he  shows  that  he  is  familiar 
with  the  writings  of  St.  Paul,  with  his  doctrine  and  with 
his  language.  The  following  is  the  summary,  given  by  a 
learned  writer,  of  his  evidence  as  regards  Christianity : 
“Throughout,  Justin  claims  to  possess,  and  to  show  forth, 
with  a  certainty  attested  by  sacrifice  and  death,  a  solid 
body  of  certified  doctrine,  which  aposloUc  authority  sealed 
and  secured;  Christ,  as  He  had  been  foretold  by  prophets 
and  announced  to  the  world  by  apostles,  is  the  assured* 
ground  of  his  faith.  The  apostles  are  the  twelve  bells  on 
the  border  of  the  high  priest’s  garment,  with  the  sound  of 
whose  ringing  the  whole  world  has  been  filled  (see  Dial. 
42,  §  263,  c.)  ;  the  apostles  are  the  evangelical  preachers 
in  whose  person  Isaiah  cried,  *  Lord,  who  hath  believed  our 
report  ?  ’  the  apostles  are  ‘  the  brethren  in  the  midst  of 
whom’  Christ  gives  praise  unto  God.”  This  testimony 
then  suffices  to  show  that  in  the  middle  of  the  second 
century  the  Scriptures  were  familiarly  used  and  universally 
acknowledged  in  Asia  Minor, 

(ii.)  Borne  and  Italy.  There  is  clear  proof  that,  about 
A.D.  154,  Marcion,  the  son  of  the  bishop  of  Sinope,  came  to 
Rome  and  had  an  interview  there  with  Polycarp.  Marcion 
rejected  the  orthodox  creed  in  some  of  its  doctrines,  and 
was  particularly  opposed  to  the  teaching  of  the  Old  Testa 
ment.  He  was  regarded  as  a  dangerous  heretic;  but 
obtained  very  great  influence  at  Rome  and  elsewhere. 
He  drew  up  two  volumes  of  sacred  writings,  the  one  of 
which  he  called  “  The  Gospel,”  and  the  other  “  The 
Apostle.”  The  former  is  founded  upon  our  present  Gospel 


48 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EYIDENCE. 


of  Luke,  and  tlie  latter  includes  all  the  Epistles  of  Paul, 
except  1  and  2  Timotliy  and  Titus ;  he  also  excludes 
Hebrews,  and  the  other  books  of  the  New  Testament. 
But  it  is  well  known  that  he  rejected  these  books  not 
because  he  did  not  know  of  their  existence,  but  because 
he  could  not  make  them  agree  with  his  doctrine.  It  is 
quite  certain  that  the  sacred  books  which  Marcion  thus 
mutilates  and  puts  together  for  his  own  purposes  had  been 
in  use  among  Christians  long  before.  He  would  not  have 
given  them  such  titles,  “  Gospel  ”  and  “  Apostle,”  unless 
they  had  been  acknowledged.  His  readings  of  St.  Luke’s 
Gospel  show  that  it  had  been  long  enough  in  existence, 
and  had  been  copied  so  often,  that  different  types  of  text 
had  had  time  to  establish  themselves,  and  corruptions  of 
the  original  Gospel  had  been  transmitte  1  through  the 
copies ;  to  admit  of  this  taking  place,  we  must  suppose  at 
least  some  fifty  years  to  have  passed  by,  so  that  we  are 
brought  to  the  end  of  the  first  century,  and  close  to  the 
time  of  the  apostles.  This  evidence  from  the  writings  of 
Mancion  is  so  clear  and  strong  that  no  candid  mind  can 
resist  it. 

(iii.)  France,  Irenmus  was  bishop  of  Lyons  about  the 
same  time  or  a  little  later.  He  was  a  native  of  Asia  Minor ; 
had  seen  and  heard  Polycarp  of  Smyrna,  the  disciple  of 
St.  John,  in  his  youth  ;  was  presbyter  of  Lyons  in  a.d.  177, 
and  carried  thence  a  letter  from  the  Christians  there  to 
Rome,  and  was  made  bishop  of  Lyons  in  the  same  year. 
He  was  born  about  A.D.  126.  He  therefore  represents 
the  beliefs  and  customary  ideas  of  Christians  during  the 
first  half  of  the  second  century.  W e  find  in  his  writings 
a  very  explicit  account  of  Christian  doctrine  and  practice, 
which  he  expounds  in  opposition  to  Gnostic  heresies  pre¬ 
vailing  at  that  time.  There  are  several  names  which  may 
be  mentioned  together  as  nearly  contemporary,  and  they 
represent  the  widespread  belief  of  the  growing  Christian 
Church  in  Italy,  France,  and  Africa,  all  in  virtual  agree- 


EVIDENCE  OF  THE  SECOND  CENTURY. 


49 


ment  as  to  fundamental  doctrine,  and  especially  as  to  the 
use  of  the  Scriptures.  These  names  are  Irenaeas,  Ter- 
tullian,  Cyprian,  Hippolytus,  Clement  of  Alexandria,  and 
Origen.  No  one  can  refuse  to  accept  the  bulk  of  their 
works  as  genuine  and  authentic,  and  the  testimony  which 
they  bear  to  the  Scriptures  is  overwhelming.  They  were 
quite  familiar  with  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  and 
substantially  as  we  now  possess  them. 

(iv.)  Syria  and  the  East.  A  very  remarkable  confir¬ 
mation  of  the  spread  of  Christianity  in  the  second  century 
is  found  m  the  writings  of  a  man  who  never  renounced 
heathenism,  though  he  was  evidently  a  sceptic  and  un¬ 
believer  in  religion  generally.  Lucian^  the  wit  and  satirist, 
was  born  at  Samosata  on  the  Euphrates,  not  far  from  the 
confines  of  Cilicia,  and,  therefore,  from  the  apostle  Paul  s 
birthplace.  Tarsus,  about  a.d.  120.  He  was  in  Greece  in 
A.D.  165,  and  witnessed  there  a  strange  scene,  which  he  de¬ 
scribes — the  self-immolation  by  fire  of  a  renegade  Christian 
named  Peregrinus,  who  was  challenged  by  his  enemies  to 
offer  himself  up  as  a  sacrifice  in  the  flames,  and  in  a  fit  of 
fanaticism  did  so.  In  describing  this  man’s  history,  Lucian 
refers  to  the  Christians  and  to  their  writings  in  the  most 
remarkable  manner,  to  their  simple  worship  and  to  their 
benevolent  and  self-denying  lives.  He  says  that  “the 
leader  of  the  Christians,  whom  they  yet  adore,  was  crucified 
in  Palestine,  for  introducing  this  new  sect.”  And  after 
relating  instances  of  the  generosity  and  charitableness  of 
the  Christians,  and  how  they  sent  their  deputies  from 
cities  of  Asia  to  give  assistance  where  it  was  required,  he 
adds,  “  These  poor  men,  it  seems,  had  persuaded  them¬ 
selves  that  they  should  be  immortal  and  live  for  ever. 
They  despised  death,  therefore,  and  offered  up  their  lives 
a  voluntary  sacrifice,  being  taught  by  their  lawgiver  that 
they  were  all  brethren,  and  that,  quitting  our  Grecian 
gods,  they  must  worship  their  own  sophist,  who  was 
crucified,  and  live  in  obedience  to  his  laws.  In  compliance 


50 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


with  these  they  looked  with  contempt  on  all  worldly 
treasnres,  and  held  everything  in  common — a  maxim  which 
they  had  adopted  without  reason  and  foundation.”  It  is 
very  remarkable  that  this  heathen  writer,  who  lived  in 
the  middle  of  the  second  century,  not  only  bears  witness 
to  the  fact  that  Christians  were  spread  through  Asia,  but 
that  they  were  such  as  the  early  Christians  were  in  the 
time  of  the  apostles,  and  that  they  possessed  sacred 
writings,  which  they  valued,  and  by  the  rule  of  which 
they  lived.  It  seems  not  unlikely  that  the  story  of  the 
renegade  Proteus  Peregrinus  may  have  been  a  witty  satire 
of  Lucian’s  on  the  martyrdom  of  Polycarp  ;  but  the  evidence 
remains  unshaken,  and  Lucian  brings  no  charge  of  any  kind 
against  the  Christians,  except  their  simplicity  and  guile¬ 
lessness.  Such  a  man  could  not  have  so  written  had  not 
Christianity  been  widely  diffused  at  the  time,  and  had  not 
the  Scriptures  been  in  general  use  among  the  Christians. 

We  may  place  beside  this  evidence  of  the  heathen 
writer  that  of  the  Christian  bishop  and  martyr  of  Antioch, 
Ignatius  (about  A.D.  120  ;  some  say  he  was  martyred  under 
Trojan,  A.D.  II5),  whose  writings  still,  in  part,  remain. 
It  is  thought  by  some  that  Lucian  knew  them,  and  refers 
to  them  in  writing  of  Peregrinus.  There  are  several 
epistles  which  bear  his  name  which  are  much  doubted, 
and  the  controversy  as  to  the  genuineness  of  all  is  con¬ 
tinued  as  yet  without  decisive  settlement ;  but  three  at 
least  are  admitted  by  most  critics.  Dr.  Lightfoot  dates 
them  A.D.  107  to  II5.  A  Greek  collection  of  seven,  called 
“Yossian,”  is  also  admitted  to  be  genuine  by  many.  It 
dates  from  the  middle  of  the  second  century.  Ignatius 
certainly  bears  witness  to  the  existence  of  Christians  in 
Asia,  and  to  the  facts  of  Christianity.  There  are  few 
quotations  of  any  sort  in  his  writings ;  but  such  as  there 
are  point  to  the  use  of  our  Gospels  and  of  the  Old  Testa¬ 
ment  at  the  beginning  of  the  second  century.  Taken  in 
connection  with  the  other  writings  of  what  are  called 


THE  WITNESS  OF  THE  CHURCH. 


51 


the  apostolical  fathers,  Polycarp,  Clement  of  Rome, 
Hermas,  and  others,  we  find  a  very  distinct  testimony, 
going  back  into  the  first  century,  to  the  principal  facts  of 
the  Gospels,  and  to  the  existence  of  the  Christian  Church, 
as  well  as  to  the  use  of  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures 
among  the  Christians. 

3.  At  the  end  of  the  first  century  there  was  a 
Christian  Church  spread  through  Western  Asia,  North 
Africa,  Asia  Minor,  Greece,  Italy,  and  Prance.  The 
Christians  of  these  countries  read  the  four  Gospels  and 
the  Epistles  of  Paul.  These  Christian  writings  bear 
witness  to  the  truth  of  the  facts  on  which  Christianity 
is  founded.  It  is  an  undisputed  fact  that  there  were  falsa 
Gospels  in  existence,  and  that  there  were  writings  which 
were  put  forth  in  the  names  of  apostles.  But  they  were 
not  received  by  the  Christian  people  generally.  There 
is  nothing  which  can  be  regarded  as  part  of  the  false 
Gospels  to  be  found  in  those  which  we  now  receive,  and 
which  we  know  were  received  in  the  second  century. 
'Even  when  the  four  Gospels  are  not  mentioned,  the  sub¬ 
stance  of  them  is  confirmed  in  writers  of  that  time.  The 
representation  of  the  character  and  teaching  of  Jesus 
Christ  is  in  accordance  with  that  in  the  New  Testament. 
As  already  observed  in  another  place,  there  is  abundant 
evidence  of  the  observance  of  the  two  ordinances  of  the 
Christian  Church,  baptism  and  the  Lord’s  Supper.  In 
baptism  a  confession  of  faith  was  made  which  included 
faith  in  the  Divine  character  and  mission  of  Jesus  Christ. 
The  ordinance  of  the  Lord’s  Supper  pointed  solemnly  to 
the  facts  on  which  Christianity  rests— the  crucifixion,  the 
resurrection,  and  the  ascension,  as  well  as  to  the  continued 
existence  of  the  Christian  Church.  “  It  would  have  been 
in  the  highest  degree  difficult,”  says  Prebendary  Row 
(in  his  “Bampton  Lectures,”  lect.  v.),  “not  to  say  im¬ 
possible,  during  the  brief  interval  between  our  Lord’s 
ministry  and  the  end  of  the  first  century,  to  have  imposed 


52 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


on  any  conimnnity  of  Christians  a  mass  of  legendary  t' 
matter  of  a  character  wholly  different  from  those  facts  ^ 
on  the  belief  in  which  the  Church  was  originally  founded,  ^ 
and  which  formed  the  moving  spring  of  the  daily  life  ^ 
of  the  individual  members,  and  which  many  of  them  had  i 

accepted  as  the  ground  of  their  conversion.  It  is  abso-  | 

lutely  impossible  that  communities  like  the  Churches  of  | 

the  first  century,  living  in  a  state  of  constant  antagonism  | 

to  their  Jewish  and  pagan  neighbours,  and  having  to  | 

justify  to  themselves  the  grounds  on  which  they  had  i 

abandoned  tbeir  former  beliefs,  could  have  become  ob-  | 

livious  of  those  facts  which  had  induced  them  to  accept  ■ 

Jesus  as  the  Messiah,  and  which  had  ever  since  formed 
the  foundation  of  their  religious  life.”  The  theories  i 

which  have  been  put  forth  by  such  men  as  Strauss  in  | 

Germany,  and  Renan  in  France,  which  would  remove  > 

from  the  beginning  of  Christianity  all  the  supernatural  | 

elements  and  leave  nothing  but  the  superior  wisdom  and  ^ 

high  moral  and  spiritual  character  of  Jesus  Christ,  will 
not  bear  examination  in  view  of  indisputable  facts.  It  ] 

would  then  be  necessary  to  assume  that  the  apostles  and  .j 

their  contemporaries  inserted  such  miraculous  facts  into  ' 

the  Gospels.  But  if  they  did  so  it  was  either  because 
they  themselves  were  deceived  or  because  they  desired  • 
to  deceive  others.  The  existence  and  growth  of  the 
Christian  Church  in  the  first  century,  when  it  was  com¬ 
paratively  free  from  error  and  corruption,  and  when  it  was 
opposed  by  Jews  and  pagans  alike,  cannot  be  explained 
on  any  other  supposition  than  the  sincerity  and  truth¬ 
fulness  of  the  first  disciples.  This  is  abundantly  proved 
by  Archdeacon  Paley  in  his  “  Evidences  of  Christianity.” 
Taking  the  Epistles  of  St.  Paul  as  evidence  of  the  kind 
of  faith  which  was  put  in  Christ  and  urged  upon  mankind 
by  Christian  teachers,  what  do  we  find  in  them  ?  We 
find  that  when  the  apostle  is  writing  to  those  who  believed 
in  his  authority  he  says  very  little  about  miracles,  because 


THE  WITNESS  OF  THE  CHURCH. 


53 


he  knew  that  they  were  believed  in  by  those  to  whom 
he  wrote  ;  but  when  he  is  meeting  the  objections  and 
doubts  of  those  who  opposed  him  he  boldly  appeals  to 
miracles.  He  was  not  the  kind  of  man  to  be  deceived. 
He  had  been  an  open  and  avowed  enemy  of  the  Christians, 
and  it  was  on  the  ground  of  a  miraculous  appearance 
of  the  risen  Saviour  that' he  stood  as  a  believer  in  that 
gospel  which  once  he  sought  to  destroy.  Would  not  the 
Jewish  nation  have  gladly  silenced  the  apostle  Paul,  had 
they  been  able  to  do  so  ?  Yet  they  never  attempted  to 
answer  him  ;  and  his  Epistles  remain,  most  of  them 
undoubtedly  genuine,  even  though  some  few  be  still  dis¬ 
puted  by  the  critics,  proving,  with  the  utmost  clearness, 
that,  at  the  time  when  he  wrote — that  is,  about  thirty 
years  after  the  death  of  Jesus  Christ— the  principal  facts 
of  the  gospel  were  well  known  and  accredited  everywhere. 
It  will  not  be  necessary  here  to  repeat  what  has  been  said 
of  the  facts  of  the  Resurrection.  That  is  the  corner-stone 
of  apostolic  belief.  It  is  the  principal  miracle  recorded, 
and  as  such  carries  with  it  the  verification  of  others 
which  are  closely  connected  with  it.  No  one  can  deny 
that  about  the  middle  of  the  first  century,  not  only 
apostles  but  Christians  generally,  over  a  vast  extent  of 
the  world,  believed  in  the  Resurrection.  The  worship 
of  the  Church  was  identified  with  it.  The  first  day  of 
the  week  was  observed  as  a  commemoration  of  it.  The 
whole  structure  of  the  Christian  society  rested  upon  it 
as  a  basis.  Moreover,  it  is  easy  to  trace  the  belief  to 
Jerusalem,  where  the  event  occurred.  It  was  not  an  idea 
which  arose  in  the  mind  of  a  writer  far  off  from  the  scene; 
nor  was  it  a  myth  or  legend  which  grew  up  gradually 
as  time  removed  the  facts  further  and  further  away. 
It  was  the  belief  with  which  the  disciples  started  in  the 
work  of  the  Christian  Church  before  the  conversion  of 
St.  Paul.  And  the  narrative  shows  clearly  that  it  was 
no  hallucination  or  deliberate  invention,  for  it  took  the 


54 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


disciples  by  surprise.  They  believed  not  at  first,  and  only 
the  irresistible  force  of  the  evidence  removed  their  doubts. 
Thus  the  credentials  of  Ohristianitv,  which  are  derived 
from  the  Christian  Church  itself,  are  sound  historical 
proof.  We  may  fairly  challenge  the  unbeliever  to  give 
any  account  of  the  existence  of  the  Church  which  can  be 
reconciled  with  any  other  statement  of  the  facts.  It  is 
impossible  to  believe  that  a  religion  which  is  so  super¬ 
human  in  its  character  and  so  wonderful  in  its  history 
originated  in  delusion  and  fraud.  We  are  bound  to  accept 
the  writings  of  the  apostles  and  evangelists  as  describing 
the  true  beginning  of  Christianity  until  they  are  proved 
to  be  false,  which  they  never  have  been  and  never  will  be. 


The  Credentials  of  Christianity'  as  the  Religion 
of  the  Christian  Man. 

Wc'-  may  put  aside  all  ancient  documents,  and  all 
speculative  difficulties,  and  consider  facts  which  come 
under  our  own  observation,  or  which  are  matter  of 
acknowledged,  world- wide  evidence.  There  is  Chris¬ 
tianity  not  only  in  books  but  in  men.  The  credentials 
of  the  religion  may  be  sought  in  personal  character  and 
personal  history.  We  will  very  briefly  indicate  some  of 
the  heads  of  this  argument  from  the  practical  effects  of  the 
truth  in  heart  and  life. 

1.  A  Oh^'istian  man,  that  is,  one  who  reflects  in  his 
character  and  actions  the  teaching  of  Christianitv,  is 
morally  and  spiritually  higher  than  any  other.  Apart  from 
all  religion,  we  have  reason  to  believe  that  there  can  be 
no  moral  goodness  maintained  in  man  generally  ;  and 
looking  at  the  religions  which  have  existed  and  do  still 
exist,  there  is  no  comparison  between  their  practical 
influence  and  that  of  Christianity.  This  is  admitted  by 
men  of  the  highest  intellectual  power.  Mr.  John  Stuart 


I 

4 

r.' 

I 

I 

I 


i 

y' 

i 

¥ 

1 


THE  CHRISTIAN  MAN. 


55 


Mill  lias  said  that  “it  would  not  be  easy  for  an  unbeliever 
to  find  a  better  translation  of  the  rule  of  virtue  from  the 
abstract  into  the  concrete,  than  to  endeavour  so  to  live 
that  Christ  would  approve  our  life.”  That  is  the  rule  of 
the  Christian.  Mr.  W.  E.  H.  Lecky  makes  a  similar 
admission  :  “  It  was  reserved  for  Christianity  to  present 
to  the  world  an  ideal  character,  which,  through  all  the 
changes  of  eighteen  centuries,  has  filled  the  hearts  of  men 
with  an  impassioned  love,  and  has  shown  itself  capable 
of  acting  in  all  ages,  nations,  temperaments,  and  con¬ 
ditions  ;  has  not  only  been  the  highest  pattern  of  virtue, 
but  the  highest  incentive  to  its  practice ;  and  has  exerted 
so  deep  an  influence,  that  it  may  be  truly  said,  that  the 
simple  record  of  three  short  years  of  active  life  has  done 
more  to  regenerate  and  to  soften  mankind  than  all  the 
disquisitions  of  philosophers  and  than  all  the  exhortations 
of  moralists.  This  indeed  has  been  the  well-spring  of 
whatever  has  been  best  and  purest  in  the  Christian  life. 
Amid  all  the  sins  and  failings,  amid  all  the  priestcraft, 
the  persecution  and  fanaticism  which  have  defaced  the 
Church,  it  has  preserved,  in  the  character  and  example 
of  its  Founder,  an  enduring  principle  of  regeneration.” 
That  Christian  character  and  life  have  been  the  fruit  of 
the  gospel  ever  since  the  time  of  Christ  cannot  be  denied. 
The  change  which  is  called  Conversion,  and  which  is  so 
named  in  the  New  Testament,  is  witnessed  among  living 
men  and  women.  It  is  very  wonderful,  and  cannot  be 
explained  by  any  common  laws  of  human  thought  and 
feeling.  It  is  produced,  so  far  as  the  means  which  we  can 
employ  are  concerned,  by  the  simple,  earnest,  and  affec¬ 
tionate  preaching  of  the  gospel,  especially  by  setting 
Christ  Himself  before  the  soul.  With  all  the  imperfections 
of  Christians  there  is  reality  in  the  practical  religion 
which  they  profess.  They  do,  in  innumerable  instances, 
deny  themselves  for  others  ;  live  unspotted  from  the 
world  ;  control  their  passions  and  temper  ;  seek  after 


56 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


tlie  liiglier  tLing’S  of  G  ocl ;  and  try  to  follow  the  rules 
which  their  Savionr  has  laid  down  for  them.  The  same 
gospel  is  carried  out  into  heathen  lands  and  produces 
marvellous  effects  there,  delivering  men  from  their 
superstitions ;  lifting  them  out  of  physical  and  moral 
degradation  ;  putting  them  on  the  way  of  advancement 
and  social  amelioration  ;  and  changing  them  from  enemies 
of  one  another  to  become  messengers  of  peace  and  good 
will  to  one  another.  It  has  been  remarked  by  Professor 
Vinet,  that  “the  Christian  religion,  like  all  other  beliefs, 
renders  homage  to  a  want  of  the  human  soul,  and — what 
no  other  belief  has  yet  done — that  it  has  satisfied  this 
want ;  it  has  an  intensity,  a  generality  of  application,  an 
elevation  of  tendency,  and,  in  fine,  a  certainty  which  no 
other  possesses  ;  in  all  these  respects  it  presents  a  type  of 
perfection  which  has  never  been  realized  in  any  human 
invention  :  and  if  God  Himself  has  given  a  faith  to  the 
world,  it  is  impossible  that  He  should  have  given  a  better 
in  any  respects.  After  this  it  would  appear  quite  super¬ 
fluous  to  inquire  if  the  Christian  religion  is  true.  This 
proof  is  sufficient.”  Now  there  are  teachers  in  our  times, 
who  maintain  that  there  is  no  need  of  a  religion  like 
Christianity  in  order  to  produce  great  moral  changes, 
both  in  individuals  and  in  society — teachers  such  as  Mr. 
Matthew  Arnold,  Mr.  Frederick  Harrison,  and  some  of 
the  continental  theorists.  But  they  fail  to  show  that 
any  such  views  as  they  represent  could  be  preached  as  a 
gospel,  whereby  the  masses  could  be  lifted  up.  They  talk 
of  ideas,  as  though  they  could  touch  the  heart.  Expe¬ 
rience  shows  that  the  preaching  of  morality  without 
religion  is  powerless.  It  may  help  those  that  are  well 
trained  and  disciplined  to  be  steadfast  to  their  principles, 
but  it  cannot  heal  the  wounded  conscience  and  recover 
the  fallen  out  of  their  misery.  Men  may  be  msthetically 
cultured,  highly  civilized,  touched  with  sentiments  of 
courtesy  and  gentleness,  “  sweetness  and  light ;  ”  but  there 


TESTIMONIES  OF  SAINTS. 


57 


is  sometliing  deeper  and  larger  than  these  things  required 
for  the  bard  conflicts  of  daily  life.  Nothing  hut  the 
power  of  Love,  the  Love  of  God,  can  overcome  the  evil 
of  the  human  heart.  And  there  is  no  religion  and  no 
moral  system  where  Love  is  the  ruling  principle,  except 
Christianity.  The  speculations  and  dreams  of  mere 
thinkers  may  please  the  fancy,  but  they  cannot  redeem 
the  soul. 

2.  We  may  seek  the  credentials  of  Christianity,  again, 
in  the  testimonies  of  emment  saints.  It  will  not  be  necessary 
to  enumerate  many  of  these,  but  a  few  may  be  recalled 
to  the  reader’s  recollection.  The  life  and  labours  of  the 
apostle  Paul  have  often  been  referred  to  as  sealing  the 
truth  of  the  gospel.  Two  young  men  imbued  with 
sceptical  opinions  agreed  together  to  write  each  a  learned 
attack  upon  some  portion  of  Christianity.  One  selected 
the  Resurrection  as  his  subject,  the  other  the  conversion 
and  character  of  St,  Paul.  Both  were  convinced  of  their 
errors  by  their  studies.  Gilbert  West  wrote  an  able  book 
on  the  Resurrection ;  Lord  Lyttleton  his  “  Observations 
on  the  Conversion  and  Appstleship  of  St.  Paul,”  in  which 
he  shows  that  such  a  character  could  not  have  been 
formed  upon  any  other  foundation  than  fact  and  verity. 
There  are  many  such  in  the  early  Church,  “  men  who 
hazarded  their  lives  for  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,”  and  “  of  whom  the  world  was  not  worthy.”  We 
must  expect,  of  course,  that  the  peculiar  features  of  the 
(hiristianity  of  the  Catholic  Church  should  in  some  in¬ 
stances  remove  such  men  from  ourselves-  in  some  respects, 
but  no  such  differences  can  hide  from  us  most  dis¬ 
tinguished  moral  features  —  heroic  self-devotion  and 
unworldliness,  and,  in  many  cases,  simplicity  and  purity 
almost  supernatural.  Fatrick  (born  a.d.  372  in  the  village 
of  Bonvola,  now  Kilpatrick,  near  Glasgow)  was  converted 
to  God  in  his  seventeenth  year.  He  was  carried  away 
by  pirates,  and  sold  into  the  service  of  a  Scottish  chief. 


58 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


wlio  employed  liim  as  a  herdsman.  Trouble  led  bis  heart 
to  God.  “  God  opened,”  be  says,  “  my  unbelieving  mind 
so  that,  although  late,  I  thought  of  my  sins  and  turned 
with  my  whole  heart  to  the  Lord  my  God,  to  Him  who 
looked  down  on  my  low  condition,  had  pity  on  my  youth 
and  ignorance,  and  before  I  knew  Him,  before  I  could 
distinguish  between  good  and  evil,  guarded,  protected, 
and  cherished  me  as  a  father  his  son.”  He  became  very 
devout  and  prayerful.  After  many  sufferings  he  gave 
himself  up  to  be  a  preacher  of  the  gospel  to  the  semi- 
barbarous  Irish,  in  A.D.  431.  He  was  opposed  by  the 
priests  and  national  bards,  but  “he  conquered  by  stead¬ 
fastness  of  faith,  by  glowing  zeal,  and  by  the  attractive 
power  of  love.”  He  was  the  means  of  multitudes  turning 
to  God,  and  lived  a  simple,  abstemious,  self-denying  life 
of  a  missionary.  There  were  others  of  a  very  similar 
character  to  Patrick,  who  showed  by  their  devotedness 
that  there  was  power  in  Christianity  to  exalt  human  nature 
to  the  highest  efforts  and  sacrifices ;  such  as  Gallus  the 
apostle  of  Switzerland,  Boniface  the  apostle  of  the  Ger¬ 
mans,  Gregory  the  abbot  of  Utrecht,  Bernard,  of  Olairvaux, 
St.  Xavier  and  others  who,  while  they  had  less  enlighten¬ 
ment  than  some  who  lived  in  the  times  when  Roman  error 
was  thrown  off,  still  were  under  the  influence  of  Christian 
motives,  and  displayed  wonderful  energy  and  self-forget¬ 
fulness  in  the  work  of  preaching.  When  we  come  to  the 
times  of  the  Reformation  we  are  in  the  midst  of  moral 
greatness  and  spiritual  heroism.  Martin  Luther  himself 
was  a  character  such  as  nothing  but  Christianity  could 
have  produced.  His  love  of  truth,  his  confidence  in  God, 
his  unselfishness,  his  mingled  strength  and  affectionateness, 
his  purity  and  unworldliness,  all  testify  to  the  Divine 
worth  of  the  religion  whose  champion  he  was.  The 
Reformers  were  all  very  Luther-like  men,  almost  without 
exception.  Their  faults  were  due  either  to  ordinary 
human  infirmity  or  to  the  imperfect  knowledge  and 


TESTIMONIES  OF  SAINTS. 


69 


culture  of  tbcir  age.  Their  Christianity  was  not  eclipsed 
by  their  imperfections.  It  lifted  tbem  to  a  very  great 
height  of  moral  attainment  and  excellence.  John  Bunyan, 
author  of  the  “  Pilgrim’s  Progress,”  is  another  conspicuous 
instance  of  Divine  grace  which  testifies  to  the  truth  of 
the  religion  in  which  he  believed.  He  was  rescued  from 
a  life  of  immorality  and  blasphemy,  and  became  a  preacher 
of  the  gospel.  He  suffered  imprisonment  for  conscience’  sake 
for  twelve  years,  and  not  only  endured  patiently  the  per¬ 
secutions  and  wrongs  of  enemies,  but  sent  forth  out  of  his 
prison  the  book  which  has  flowed  like  a  stream  of  living 
water  ever  since,  reviving  and  refreshing  multitudes,  and 
helping  them  on  their  way  to  a  better  world.  During  the 
eighteenth  century  there  were  many  remarkable  instances  of 
religious  character,  such  as  bear  powerful  witness  to  Chris¬ 
tianity,  particularly  in  connection  with  the  rise  of  Methodism 
in  England  and  the  contemporary  work  which  went  on  in 
Germany  and  America.  Wesley,  Whitefield,  Fletcher  of 
Madeley,  the  Countess  of  Huntingdon,  Count  Zinzendorf, 
Brainerd,  John  Howard,  and  others  like  them,  were 
eminent  examples  of  devotion  and  philanthropy  which 
illustrate  the  power  of  the  Christian  religion.  Immediately 
after  the  work  of  spiritual  revival  which  awoke  the  Christian 
Church  to  feel  its  responsibility,  commenced  the  efforts  of 
modern  Protestant  missions,  both  in  foreign  lands  and 
in  the  dense  populations  of  our  own  country.  It  is  im¬ 
possible  to  think  of  such  lives  as  have  been  lived  during  the 
last  hundred  years  by  missionaries  and  evangelists  and  not 
acknowledge  that  Christian  men  bear  witness  to  Chris¬ 
tianity. 

3.  But  the  great  practical  test  of  a  religion  is  its  adap¬ 
tation  to  the  wants  of  man  in  the  time  of  trouble,  and  its 
power  to  triumph  over  death.  In  both  these  respects  there 
is  no  comparison  between  Christianity  and  other  religions, 
and  between  faith  and  unbelief.  We  can  appeal  to  the 
language  of  the  Bible,  which,  as  adapted  to  soothe  and 


60 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


comfort,  is  incomparalbly  superior  to  all  other  words  of 
man’s.  We  can  point  to  the  instances  of  the  martyrs, 
and  those  who  through,  faith  obtained  the  victory  over 
personal  suffering  and  the  fear  of  death.  While  it  cannot 
be  denied  that  heroism  has  been  witnessed  apart  from 
Christianity ; — as,  among  the  heathen, in  the  case  of  Socrates 
dying  calmly  as  a  philosopher,  and  in  many  other  cases, 
where  wonderful  moral  courage  was  manifested  and  great 
endurance  in  suffering;  and  among  those  who  cannot  be 
said  to  have  derived  their  strength  from  religious  feeling, 
as  in  many  cases  of  noble  self-devotion  in  the  battle-field, 
in  the  struggle  of  daily  life,  in  circumstances  of  extreme 
danger  such  as  shipwreck  and  other  sudden  calamities,  in 
the  endurance  of  pain  and  in  facing  distress  and  death ; — 
still  it  must  be  remembered  that  what  Christianity  claims 
to  be  able  to  do  is  to  raise  humanity  itself  out  of  weakness 
into  strength,  and  out  of  the  misery  of  sin  into  peace  and 
victory  over  s(df.  The  testimonies  which  may  be  gathered 
from  Christians  are  not  exceptional  and  rare,  but  common 
and  almost  universal.  The  weak  are  made  strong,  the 
fearful  are  made  courageous,  the  sufferers  are  made  patient, 
and  the  dying  are  victorious  over  natural  feelings,  by  their 
faith  in  Jesus  Christ.  “Soon  after  the  American  war 
broke  out,”  says  Mr.  Moody,  the  great  evangelist,  “it 
pleased  God  to  call  me  to  work  among  the  wounded  and 
dying.  There  1  saw  plenty  of  death  !  And  now  I  know 
there  is  a  difference  between  the  latter  end  of  the  righteous 
and  the  sinner.  1  have  heard  screams  of  despair  from 
those  who  were  without  hope.  And  I  have  also  witnessed 
scenes  of  calm,  placid  death,  even  of  joyous  triumphant 
departure  to  be  with  Christ,  on  the  part  of  those  who  had 
their  feet  on  the  Rock  of  Ages.  And  now  I  tell  you  there 
is  a  difference,  a  great  difference,  as  much  difference  as 
between  day  and  night,  or  as  between  light  and  darkness.” 
Every  Christian  minister  will  testify  that  there  is  this 
difference.  While  all  death-beds  of  believers  are  not 


CHRISTIANITY  REDEEMS  THE  WORLD. 


61 


scenes  of  trinmpli,  none  are  scenes  of  despair  and  terror,  or 
sullen  indifference  and  hard-lieartedness.  On  the  other 
hand,  without  faith  in  Christ  trouble  is  apt  to  destroy  the 
higher  qualities  of  the  soul,  to  produce  evil  in  the  temper 
and  in  the  life,  and  to  become  a  curse  instead  of,  as  it  may 
be,  a  blessing  in  disguise. 


What  Christianity  is  to  the  World. 

This  subject  requires  a  separate  treatment  because  it  is 
brought  out  into  special  prominence  by  the  questions  and 
tendencies  of  our  time.  The  adaptation  of  a  religion  to  the 
wants  of  an  individual  man  may  be  admitted,  and  yet  it 
may  be  regarded  as  unsocial  in  its  character.  There  have 
been  times  when  Christianity  seemed  to  stand  in  the  way  of 
human  progress,  as  a  whole.  There  are  some  who  bring 
the  same  charge  against  it  now.  They  openly  teach  that 
to  shut  up  Christian  churches  and  to  destroy  their  institu¬ 
tions  would  be  to  facilitate  and  accelerate  the  advancement 
of  the  human  race,  in  knowledge  and  power  and  happiness. 
As  to  the  testimony  of  the  past,  it  must  be  remembered 
that  the  forms  which  Christianity  has  taken,  at  different 
times,  have  been  largely  the  outcome  of  the  state  of  the 
world.  The  corruptions  of  society  have  influenced  the 
minds  of  religious  men.  They  have  erred,  often,  in  their 
methods  ;  but  their  errors  have  not  been  derived  from 
Christ,  but  from  those  who  misunderstood  Christ,  or  from 
the  influence  of  surrounding  circumstances.  The  Church  of 
Rome  is  no  true  representative  of  Christianity.  JN^o  Church, 
as  a  visible  institution,  can  be  taken  as  exactly  reflecting 
the  doctrine  of  Christ.  And  yet,  with  all  allowances  for 
past  errors,  it  may  be  said  that  modern  European  society 
owes  many  of  its  best  and  most  stable  features  to  the 
religious  elements  which  have  been  mingled  with  it.  The 
historical  proofs  must  be  sought  in  their  proper  place. 


62 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


The  reader  will  rot  expect  them  here.  But  a  few  leadino- 
consideratiors  will  be  a  help  to  his  studies. 

1.  Christianity  has  been  and  still  is  a  great  power  of 
civilization.  By  civilization  we  do  not  mean  the  mere 
accumulation  of  wealth,  or  the  multiplication  of  the  means 
of  material  enjoyment,  or  mere  superficial  refinement  of 
manners  ;  but  the  development  of  the  true  idea  of  society, 
that  is,  of  the  world  as  a  community  of  families,  and 
nations,  holding  free  and  orderly  intercourse  with  one 
another  and  exchanging  benefits,  as  their  power  of  pro¬ 
duction  and  general  capacity  grows.  It  must  be  acknow¬ 
ledged  that  all  true  civilization  rests  upon  law ;  all  law 
must  rest  ultimately  on  the  will  of  God.  Christianity, 
as  the  highest  revelation  both  of  the  character  and  will  of 
God,  supplies  a  firm  foundation  for  the  law  of  society  to 
rest  upon.  Where  there  is  no  acknowledgment  of  the 
Divine  authority,  there  individualism  becomes  rampant 
and  society  falls  to  pieces.  It  has  been  said  by  Atheists 
that  there  is  enough  protection  against  the  evil  tendencies 
at  work  in  society,  in  the  forces  of  human  nature  and  in 
the  laws  of  the  material  universe.  But  such  a  crisis  as 
the  French  Bevolution  shows  that  without  religion  the 
forces  at  work  become  chaotic,  and  the  chaos  is  destructive. 
What  we  look  for  in  society  is  a  union  of  liberty  with  law  : 
progress  regulated  by  restraints  and  by  principles  which 
are  beneficent  and  salutary.  Now,  the  power  of  Christianity 
is  to  elevate  the  individual,  mentally  and  morally,  so  that 
he  becomes  every  way  a  stronger  and  better  man ;  and  at 
the  same  time  it  elevates  society  by  giving  a  common  aim 
and  rule  to  the  whole  community.  Compare  Christianity 
in  this  respect  with  Mohammedanism.  We  see  in  the 
history  of  the  false  prophet  how  the  liberty  of  the  in¬ 
dividual  was  sacrificed  to  the  fanaticism  of  the  zealot,  how 
fatalism  took  the  place  of  an  intelligent  purpose  in  life, 
and  the  masses  of  people  were  held  in  bondage  by  the 
despotism  of  mere  physical  power,  the  power  of  the  sword 


CIIMSTIANITY  AND  HEATHENISM. 


63 


But  Christianity  is  a  religion  of  love,  and  therefore  of  peace 
and  good  M^ill,  liberty  and  order.  Compare  the  history  of 
Christendom,  again,  with  the  history  of  any  heathen 
people — such  as,  in  ancient  times,  Assyria  or  Egypt ;  or, 
in  modern  times,  the  Hindoos  or  Chinese.  We  find  in 
Christendom  there  is  a  decided  moral  advancement,  so 
that  errors  and  prejudice  are  being  cast  out,  and  that, 
just  in  proportion  to  the  sway  of  Christianity;  whereas, 
in  heathen  countries,  while  some  improvements  may  be 
derived  from  contact  with  other  nations,  moral  'progress 
is  not  maintained,  rather  the  rooted  evils  increase.  The 
ancient  empires  were  destroyed  much  more  by  their  in¬ 
ternal  corruption  than  by  attacks  from  external  enemies. 
They  had  no  moral  strength,  because  their  religions  were 
mere  degraded  superstitions  which  undermined  the  virtue 
and  fed  the  passions  of  the  multitude.  The  heathen  world, 
at  the  present  time,  is  a  mass  of  moral  filth  and  misery ; 
and  the  ouly  hope  of  its  recovery  is  in  the  iDfl.uence  of 
Christianity. 

There  are  two  forces  which  are  recognized  as  holding 
a  prominent  place  in  modern  civilized  society ;  they  are 
Science  and  Art,  To  a  large  extent  it  may  be  admitted, 
these  two  forces  are  changing  the  aspect  of  the  world,  so 
far  as  the  present  life  is  concerned.  Are  they  independent 
of  Christianity  ?  They  certainly  have  not  been  so  in  past 
ages.  Science  may  be  said  to  be  the  distinct  outcome  of 
that  awakening  of  the  European  mind  in  the  sixteenth 
century  which  was  due  almost  entirely  to  the  influence  of 
Christianity.  It  was  the  stirring  of  deep  religious  thoughts 
which  broke  the  slumber  of  the  Middle  Ages.  It  was  by 
the  moral  and  spiritual  force  let  loose  by  the  controversies 
of  the  Reformation,  and  the  international  conflicts  which 
accompanied  them,  that  Europe  was  lifted  up  to  a  higher 
level  of  activity  and  enterprise,  out  of  which  came  the 
achievements  of  modern  times.  was  pre-eminently  tho 
child  of  Religion,  of  the  Christian  Religion ;  and  even  in 


64 


PEIMER  OF  CmilSTfAN  EVIDENCE. 


Greece,  of  the  religious  impulse  which,  in  the  best  natures, 
sought  after  an  expression  above  the  mere  groping  of 
heathenish  ignorance  and  deformity.  At  the  present  time, 
notwithstanding  the  sad  alienation  of  many  scientific  and 
aBsthetic  minds  from  the  gospel  of  Christ,  which,  it  may  be 
hoped,  is  only  temporary,  this  progress  of  science  and  art 
is  dependent  upon  the  progress  of  society  generally,  and 
that  is  the  fruit  of  Christianity.  The  greatest  stimulus 
■which  has  been  given  to  the  cultivation,  both  of  scientific 
observation  and  of  artistic  capacity,  has  come  from  men 
who  were  Christian  in  their  faith,  and  who  were  animated 
by  that  fervent  philanthropy  which  never  can  long  exist 
except  in  the  clear  daylight  and  genial  atmosphere  of 
Christian  society. 

2.  Christianity  is  especially  adapted  to  meet  and  remedy 
the  evils  which  are  found  in  the  world.  This  is  a  subject 
much  dwelt  upon ;  there  is  no  need  to  enter  into  it,  in 
detail.  The  instance  of  the  abolition  of  slavery  is  very 
much  in  point.  Slavery  was  an  evil  which  had  grown  up  in 
the  world  partly  from  the  decay  of  nations  and  partly  from 
the  struggle  for  supremacy  due  to  the  growth  of  power 
in  the  race.  The  root  of  it,  however,  was  in  the  selfishness 
and  cruelty  of  the  fallen  nature  of  man.  Christianity  did 
not  deal  with  it  politically :  did  not  charge  its  followers 
to  preach  against  the  institution  or  custom.  But  the  evil, 
as  being  chiefly  a  moral  evil,  was  destroyed  by  moral  forces. 
Humanity  was  itself  elevated  by  Christ.  The  slave  was  a 
man  and  a  brother.  The  blow  which  Christianity  gave  to 
slavery  was  an  internal  blow.  It  smote  it  in  the  vitals. 
The  evil  has  been  cast  out  of  the  world,  not  by  the  stirring 
up  of  a  Christian  crusade  against  it,  but  by  the  growth  of 
the  Christian  spirit  among  the  nations.  Another  instance 
is  the  change  effected  in  the  condition  of  women  and  in  the 
family  life.  Both  in  the  Old  and  in  the  Hew  Testaments 
woman  is  honoured,  and  the  affections  of  family  life  carefully 
shielded  from  the  dangers  to  which  they  are  exposed  in  the 


CHRISTIANITY  A  REMEDY. 


65 


•  ^  ^ 

confusions  of  the  world.  It  is  impossible  to  read  tlie  writings 

of  heathen  antiquity,  or  to  look  into  heathen  society  in 
the  East  at  the  present  day,  and  not  recognize  the  debt 
which  the  world  owes  to  the  Bible.  Woman  has  never 
taken  her  proper  place  under  any  other  religious  system 
than  the  Christian.  Even  the  Roman  matron  in  the  best 
times  of  the  Republic  was  not  what  the  Christian  lady  is. 
And  we  know  that  in  Rome  vice  prevailed  so  fearfully 
when  the  stricter  and  simpler  life  of  early  times  had  given 
way  to  luxury  and  superstition,  that  the  female  character 
became  degraded  to  the  lowest  point.  In  Eastern  countries 
woman  has  no  position  which  can  be  regarded  as  better 
than  slavery  and  misery.  In  heathen  nations  the  destruc¬ 
tion  of  infant  life  has  been  utterly  reckless  and  cruel 
beyond  all  description.  The  children  there  are  property  at 
the  disposal  of  the  possessors;  Christianity  rescued  the  little 
ones  out  of  the  hands  of  arbitrary  and  selfish  parents,  and 
placed  them  under  the  protection  of  the  Saviour.  I  here  is 
no  teaching  which  can  be  compared  with  that  of  the  Bible 
as  a  counteraction  of  the  sensual  corruption  of  all  man¬ 
kind.  The  sanctification  of  the  body  (“  Know  ye  not  that 
your  body  is  the  temple  of  the  Holy  Ghost  ?  I  Cor.  xi.  19), 
the  love  of  neighbours  as  ourselves,  the  prospect  of 
judgment,  the  presence  of  Jesus  Christ  with  us  at  every 
moment  and  the  consecration  of  all  our  nature  to  Him  , 
such  are  some  of  the  doctrines  of  Christianity  which  tend 
to  preserve  Christians  from  falling  into  sensuality.  And 
it  was  not  only  the  abstract  teaching  of  the  Bible  which 
promoted  purity  of  life,  but  the  practical  working  of  the 
truth  in  the  Christian  community.  Each  individual 
Christian  became  a  watchful  guardian  over  his  brother’s 
consistency ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  strength  de¬ 
rived  from  fellowship  acted  as  a  moral  support  to  the 
weak  and  the  tempted.  It  is  also  important  to  notice 
that  the  moral  force  of  Christianity  is  not  a  merely  negative 
force,  prohibiting  and  restraining;  it  is  a  positive  force, 


66 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  E7IDENCE. 


renewing  the  nature,  and  therefore  giving  men  the  power 
to  throw  ofP  the  evil  by  the  growth  of  the  good.  This 
we  can  see  very  abundantly  illustrated  in  the  work  of 
Christianity  among  the  young.  Those  that  are  trained 
under  Christian  influences  are  not  only  saved  from  con¬ 
tact  with  the  contaminating  corruption,  but  develop  a 
higher  and  purer  life  in  the  higher  and  purer  atmosphere, 
so  that  they  are  doubly  protected,  both  by  the  possession 
of  positive  good  and  the  separation  from  outer  evil.  It 
is  well  to  notice,  in  connection  with  this  moral  working 
of  Christianity,  the  fact  that  society  is  leavened  with 
the  force  of  living  men  and  women,  united  to  Christ 
and  deriving  their  strength  from  Him,  and  formed  into 
bands  of  energetic  labourers  in  the  Saviour’s  name.  No 
mere  body  of  principles  and  precepts  would  suffice  to 
convert  the  world.  There  must  be  the  contact  of  life 
with  life,  the  enforcement  of  the  doctrine  by  the  example. 
There  is  nothing  which  can  be  compared  with  the 
Christian  Church  in  any  heathen  system.  Philosophy 
has  put  forth  many  beautiful  sentiments  and  wise  sayings. 
But  what  is  wanted  for  the  world  at  large  is  a  living 
community  which  spreads,  as  the  Christian  Church  has 
spread,  from  nation  to  nation,  from  family  to  family,  until 
it  embraces  all  and  lifts  up  all. 

Another  prevalent  evil  in  humanity  has  been  JVar.  It 
has  sprung,  not  from  evil  passions  of  mankind  alone,  but 
also  from  their  errors,  misunderstandings,  false  views  of 
right  and  wrong,  impatience  and  distrust  of  one  another. 
Christianity  is  not  responsible  for  any  oP  the  wars  which 
have  been  waged,  although  they  have  often  been  waged  in 
the  name  and  professedly  for  the  glory  of  Christ.  The 
normal  influence  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Saviour  is  to  put 
an  end  to  war.  It  must  do  so  in  the  last  result.  The 
prediction  which  coincides  with  the  ultimate  triumph  of  the 
gospel  is  that  of  permanent  peace.  The  spirit  of  Christianity 
is  that  of  wise  forbearance  of  one  another  and  confidence 


CHRISTIANITY  HELPS  THE  POOR. 


67 


in  God.  It  tends  towards  tlio  end  o£  strife  and  tlie  reign 
of  Jnstice. 

Lastly,  it  is  tlie  special  distinction  of  Christianity 
that  it  'provides  for  the  poor,  protects  the  weak,  and 
champions  the  cause  of  the  suffering  and  oppressed. 
The  evils  which  lie  at  the  base  of  society  are  to  some 
extent  inevitable,  as  the  result  of  the  increase  of  popu¬ 
lation  and  prosperity.  In  a  great  workshop  there  is 
sure  to  be  a  large  amount  of  material  which  appears 
like  refuse,  which  falls  away  from  the  finished  products, 
and  is  apt  to  be  treated  as  worthless.  In  the  economy 
of  nature  there  is  no  waste,  nothing  is  lost,  everything  is 
transformed  into  some  new  shape.  But  in  human  society 
it  is  different.  The  prosperous  are  tempted  to  trample  on 
the  rights  of  the  poor.  The  weak  ones  go  to  the  wall..  The 
lagging  ones  are  left  behind  in  the  race.  Heathen  religions 
taught  no  doctrine  of  the  conservation  of  human  life.  Philo¬ 
sophy  left  the  problem  unsolved,  what  to  do  with  the 
refuse  of  society.  Christianity  comes  in  with  its  wonder¬ 
ful  new  creating  power  and  brings  back  the  lost,  reclaims 
the  fallen,  restores  the  forsaken  to  their  place — by  the 
ministry  of  love  and  self-denial  which  it  both  inculcates 
and  maintains.  Many  who  hold  aloof  from  Christ  loudly 
proclaim  their  patriotism,  their  philanthropy,  their  charity; 
but  the  true  examples  of  such  virtues  must  be  sought,  not 
in  the  ranks  of  infidelity  or  scepticism,  but  in  the  annals 
of  the  C  iristian  Church. 

3.  Christianity  teaches  universal  brotherhood,  and  pro¬ 
claims  the  Kingehm  of  Heaven  upon  earth.  There  are  three 
unities  which  all  thoughtful  men  recognize — the  unity  of 
the  family  relationship,  the  unity  of  the  nation,  and  the  unity 
of  the  race  There  have  been  many  influences  which  have 
appeared  among  mankind,  promoting  these  unities,  sepa¬ 
rately  and  in  part.  But  there  has  been  no  one  system, 
either  of  religion  or  philosophy,  which  may  be  said  to  pro¬ 
mote  them  all  at  once.  Patriotism  was  a  virtue  in  ancient 


68 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


times,  but  it  meant  the  love  of  our  own  nation  and  the 
hatred  of  others.  There  is  a  spurious  universalism  which 
is  much  talked  of  among  the  positivists  of  our  day.  And 
human  interests  themselves  tend  to  preserve  the  unity  of 
the  fleshly  bond.  But  the  difficulty  is  to  combine  in  one 
system  that  which  will  strengthen  the  tie  of  family  rela¬ 
tionship  and  the  love  of  kindred,  and  yet  enlarge  the  circle 
of  our  affections  so  that  we  can  cherish  an  “  enthusiasm  of 
humanity.'^  It  has  been  often  remarked  that  when  the 
Roman  Empire  absorbed  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth  into 
itself  by  conquest,  it  did  much  to  widen  the  thoughts  of 
men,  and  to  promote  the  order  of  their  life  for  a  time,  but  it 
was  at  the  cost  of  some  of  the  finest  sentiments  of  the  human 
heart.  Christians  themselves  could  not  inculcate  anything 
better  than  quiet  submission  to  the  despotism  of  the  Em¬ 
pire.  There  was  no  political  life,  no  freedom,  no  patriotism 
possible,  until  that  deadly  uniformity  was  broken  up.  But 
when  Europe  became  again  the  scene  of  national  life, 
Christianity  helped  men  to  be  true  to  it,  and  to  defend  it 
bravely.  Then,  as  national  life,  again,  began  to  lessen  its 
claim  on  the  interests  of  men,  and  the  discoveries  of  modern 
times  brought  the  ends  of  the  earth  nearer  to  one  another, 
the  fundamental  conception  of  Christianity  came  out  more 
and  more  clearly  to  view,  and  the  Christian  Church  rose  to 
it,  and  endeavoured  to  realize  it  practically.  It  must  never 
be  forgotten  that  the  principle  which  lies  on  the  very  fore¬ 
front  of  Christianity  is  the  universal  brotherhood  of  man. 
It  is  proclaimed  as  an  indisputable  truth,  because  it  springs 
out  of  the  Fatherhood  of  God.  The  Church  of  Christ 
must  be  catholic,  universal,  or  it  is  nothing.  “  There  is 
neither  Jew,  nor  Greek,  there  is  neither  bond  nor  free, 
there  is  neither  male  nor  female  :  for  ye  are  all  one  in 
Christ  Jesus  ”  (Gal.  iii.  28).  The  teaching  of  the  ilew 
Testament  lies  at  the  foundation  of  all  practical  efforts 
to  convert  the  world.  It  aims  to  bind  all  men  together 
in  the  one  bond  of  Christian  fellowship,  as  a  family,  of 


UNIVERSAL  BROTHERHOOD. 


69 


which  God  is  the  Father  and  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Elder 
Brother  aud  Head.  The  fact  is  before  us  in  the  modern 
world,  Christianity  redeeming  the  race  ;  not  only  caring  for 
all  but  saving  all.  When  we  compare  with  the  missionary 
zeal  of  Christians,  the  pride  and  exclusiveness  of  heathen 
systems,  and  the  helplessness  of  mere  philosophy,  in  the 
ancient  world,  we  see  how  much  the  world  owes  to  Christ. 
In  the  communities  of  the  ages  preceding  Christianity  there 
was  natural  humanity,  to  some  extent,  but  it  was  crushed 
out  by  the  evil  working  of  forces  which  were  developed  by 
the  customs  of  the  world,  and  which  met  with  no  counter¬ 
action.  “  Inveterate  feuds  and  narrow-minded  local 
jealousies,  arising  out  of  an  isolated  position,  or  differences 
of  language  and  institutions,  had  created  endless  divisions 
between  man  and  man.  Selfishness  was  not  a  mere  abuse,  or 
corruption  arising  out  the  infirmity  of  human  nature,  but 
a  theory  and  almost  a  part  of  moral  philosophy.  Humanity 
was  cramped  by  a  mistaken  pi*ejudice,  by  a  perverse  pre¬ 
sumption  of  intellect”  (“  Ecce  Homo,”  p.  160).  “That 
Christ’s  method,  when  rightly  applied,  is  really  of  mighty 
force  may  be  shown  by  an  argument  which  the  severest 
censOr  of  Christianity  will  hardy  refuse  to  admit.  Compare 
the  ancient  with  the  modern  world  :  ‘Look  on  this  picture 
and  on  that.’  One  broad  distinction  in  the  characters  of 
men  forces  itself  into  prominence.  Among  all  the  men  of 
the  heathen  world  there  were  scarcely  one  or  two  to  whom 
we  might  venture  to  apply  the  epithet  ‘  holy.’  In  other 
words,  there  were  not  more  than  one  or  two,  if  any,  who, 
besides  being  virtuous  in  their  actions,  were  possessed 
with  an  unaffected  enthusiasm  of  goodness,  and  besides 
abstaining  from  vice,  regarded  even  a  vicious  thought 
with  horror.  Probably  no  one  will  deny  that  in  Christian 
countries  this  higher-toned  goodness,  which  we  call  holi¬ 
ness,  has  existed.  Few  will  maintain  that  it  has  been 
exceedingly  rare.  Perhaps  the  truth  is,  that  there  has 
scarcely  been  a  town  in  any  Christian  country,  since 


70 


PRIMEU  of  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


tlie  time  of  Olirist,  where  a  century  has  passed  without 
exhibiting  a  character  of  such  elevation  that  his  mere 
presence  has  sliamed  the  bad  and  made  the  good  better, 
and  has  been  felt  at  times  like  the  presence  of  God  Him¬ 
self.  And  if  this  be  so,  has  Christ  failed?  or  can  Chris¬ 
tianity  die  ?  **  Ecce  Homo,’’  p.  171)»  The  mere  specu- 
hitions  and  dreams  of  socialists  and  political  enthusiasts 
fail  to  affect  humanity  at  large.  There  is  no  true  centre 
from  which  the  labourers  on  behalf  of  the  world  can  be 
sent  forth  ;  except  that  one  inexhaustible  source  of  reno¬ 
vating  influences  and  living  energy,  the  person  of  Jesus 
Christ.  He  is  represented  by  a  continuously  increasing 
number  of  disciples.  His  promise  goes  before  them  and 
Hope  lights  up  their  path.  “Their  labour  is  not  in  vain 
in  the  Lord.”  Those  who  take  account  of  the  triumphs  of 
Christianity  during  the  past  century,  and  the  prospects 
of  its  yet  larger  triumphs  in  the  near  future,  will  be  ready 
to  say  with  the  zealous  apostle,  when  he  thought  of  visiting 
the  great  metropolis  of  the  ancient  world  and  planting  the 
standard  of  the  Cross  on  the  very  palace  of  the  Caesars, 
“  I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  gospel  of  Christ** 


How  Christian  Evidences  should  be  studied^ 

We  have  now  completed  the  brief  outline  of  Christian 
Evidence  which  it  is  the  aim  of  this  primer  to  place  before 
the  reader.  But  there  are  a  few  remarks  which  it  is  desir¬ 
able  yet  to  make,  for  the  guidance  of  those  who  take  up  a 
small  work  of  this  kind  and  might  be  disposed  to  com¬ 
plain  of  its  leaving  so  many  di  ill  cult  questions  untouched. 

TVe  must  distinguish  between  a  specidative  and  a 
practical  spirit,  in  the  study  of  evidence.  If  Christianity 
came  to  us  as  a  body  of  abstract  truth,  such  as  we  find, 
e.g.,  in  the  writings  of  a  philosopher,  or  in  the  work  of  a 
scientific  theorist,  we  might  then  examine  the  evidence  on 


METHODS  OF  STUDY. 


71 


fclie  simple  ground  of  its  relation  to  tlie  particular  trutlis 
in  question,  and  if  they  were  not  proved  to  our  satisfaction, 
we  should  then  lay  aside  the  book  as  possessing  no  more 
special  interest  to  our  minds.  But  it  must  be  carefully 
remembered  that  there  is  a  foundation  of  universal  beliefs 
on  which  the  particular  doctrines  of  Christianity  are  built 
up.  And  they  are  intimately  connected  with  the  common 
life  of  man. 

Christianity  takes  for  granted  our  relation  to  God  as 
His  creatures.  It  does  not  come  to  us  as  a  revelation 
of  what  we  instinctively  believe.  It  does  not  profess  to 
prove  our  moral  obligations  and  our  future  existence. 
But  addresses  itself  to  those  who  know  and  feel  that  they 
are  weak  and  miserable  and  guilty  in  the  sight  of  God. 

The  practical  need  of  a  religion  such  as  is  set  before 
us  in  the  Bible  is  the  one  strong  support  on  which  all 
evidences  rest.  To  one  who  is  utterly  indifferent  to  all 
religion,  such  a  subject  will  be  repulsive,  and  it  will  be 
labour  spent  in  vain  to  endeavour  to  show  that  it  makes  a 
claim  upon  his  rational  assent.  But  if  there  be  in  the 
mind  a  sense  of  the  need  and  value  of  a  strong  conviction, 
a  desire  to  obtain  such  a  conviction,  then  a  thoughtful  review 
of  the  whole  region  of  evidence  will  help  the  heart  to  cast 
itself  more  entirely  on  the  truth  and  to  stand  more  firmly 
asfainst  the  assaults  of  doubt. 

There  are  questions,  more  particularly  critical  questions, 
such  as  those  which  concern  the  authority  of  some  of  the 
books  in  the  Bible,  which  are  very  difficult  to  determine. 
The  evidence  which  has  to  be  weighed  is  of  a  very  subtle 
kind,  some  of  it  surrounded  with  uncertainty  because  it 
deals  with  matters  of  remote  antiquity,  and  with  writings 
which  have  been  left  in  a  very  unsatisfactory  state,  having 
passed  through  many  hands. 

But  while  we  may  see  that  such  points  are  not  as 
strongly  defended  as  others,  it  should  be  botmo  in  mind 
that  they  are  not  vital  points ;  and  that  they  do  not  in- 


72 


miMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 


volve,  if  taken  by  tbe  enemy,  tbe  surrender  of  vital  points. 
Attacks  are  made  on  portions  of  the  Old  Testament  wbicb 
are  said  by  some  modern  critics  to  be  of  muck  later  date 
than  we  have  been  accustomed  to  believe.  But  the 
substance  of  Christianity  is  not  touched  by  any  such 
speculative  questions. 

Again,  there  may  be  interpretations  of  Scripture  to 
which  the  great  majority  of  Christians  have  given  in  their 
adhesion  which  hereafter  may  prove  to  be  erroneous.  But 
that  will  not  invalidate  the  main  features  of  the  hTew 
Testament  revelation.  There  may  be  modifications  need¬ 
ful  in  the  form  of  particular  doctrines,  but  that  will  not 
disprove  the  reality  of  the  facts  on  which  our  faith  stands. 
With  a  decided  practical  aim  in  view,  earnestly  desiring 
to  have  a  full  assurance  of  faith  unto  salvation,  it  will  be 
found  that  the  study  of  Christian  evidences  enables  us  to 
“  give  a  reason  of  the  hope  that  is  in  us.” 

Another  guiding  maxim  which  we  would  urge  upon  the 
reader  to  keep  in  mind  is  to  distinguish,  in  subjects  of 
this  kind,  moral  certainty  from  scientific  demonstration.  The 
point  to  be  reached  is  not  the  exclusion  of  all  possible 
doubt,  but  the  duty  of  faith,  and  of  the  practice  which 
springs  from  it.  A  mathematical  theorem  is  ['roved  to 
demonstration.  The  premisses  being  granted,  no  reason¬ 
able  being,  capable  of  understanding  the  argument,  will 
resist  the  conclusion.  So  in  scientific  proof,  the  evidence 
is  referred  to  fixed  principles.  It  is  the  mere  application 
of  laws  which  are  ah*eady  ascertained.  There  is  a  depart¬ 
ment  of  Science  where  demonstration  is  not  perfect — what 
is  cnlled  speculative  science ;  as  e.g.  the  principle  of 
evolution,  as  explanatory  of  the  material  universe.  In 
such  instances  there  is  the  accumulation  of  evidence  in 
support  of  a  theory  which  may  make  it  more  or  less 
reasonable,  but  there  can  be  no  actual  demonstration. 

Now,  the  truths  of  Christianity  appeal  to  our  moral 
nature.  The  facts  upon  which  they  rest  are  facts  of  history, 


MORAL  EVIDENCE  AND  DEMONSTRATION. 


73, 


and  therefore  depend  upon  moral  evidence.  They  cannot 
be  proved  with  mathematical  evidence.  But  in  tliis  re¬ 
spect  they  are  only  like  all  the  truths  and  facts  which  move 
our  life.  We  are  absolutely  certain  of  nothing,  except 
of  elementary  ideas,  which,  as  elementary  idens,  have.no 
practical  meaning.  The  moment  we  begin  to  apply  them 
to  the  realities  of  our  own  life,  then  the  possibility  of  doubt 
comes  in.  That  two  and  two  make  four  we  cannot  doubt, 
because  to  doubt  it  would  be  to  contradict  ourselves,  our 
elementary  ideas  ;  but  that  two  persons  came  out  of  one 
room  into  another,  and  joined  two  others,  making  four  in  all, 
is  a  question  of  fact,  about  which  we  cannot  be  absolutely 
certain.  We  can  examine  the  evidence,  and  the  evidence 
may  make  us  morally  convinced.  We  act  upon  the  moral 
certainty.  So  in  the  case  of  religious  truth.  It  can  be 
so  far  proved  that  doubt  becomes  irrational,  and  an  im¬ 
moral  resistance  of  the  evidence.  But  it  may  be  doubted, 
not  because  the  conclusion  does  not  properly  follow  from 
the  premisses,  but  because  the  premisses  are  not  sufficiently 
well  weighed  and  the  reasoning  is  not  clearly  grasped. 
Hence  the  importance  of  the  study  of  Chri.stian  evidences. 
It  enables  us  to  feel  the  moral  force  of  the  appeal  Chris¬ 
tianity  makes — “  How  can  we  escape,  if  we  neglect  so  great 
salvation  ?  ” 

The  evidences  of  our  religion  are  often  described  as 
External  and  Internal.  By  External  evidences  are  intended 
those  which  concern  the  facts  and  documents,  apart  from 
the  doctrines  which  they  teach  and  the  influence  which 
they  exercise ;  by  Internal  evidences,  those  which  are 
derived  from  the  religion  itself,  such  as  the  moral  worth 
of  the  doctrines,  their  consistency  with  the  facts  and  with 
one  another,  the  spiritual  life  as  proceeding  from  them, 
the  adaptation  of  the  truth  to  the  hearts  and  to  the  wants  of 
men,  and  many  other  subjects  of  a  similar  nature.  Now,  it 
is  important  to  remember  that  these  two  kinds  of  evidence 
meet  and  support  one  another.  They  are  mutually  com- 


74  PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 

# 

plementnry.  To  some  tlie  internal  evidence .  will  be  far 
more  satisfactory  than  any  amount  of  argument  about 
authenticity  and  external  authority.  But  with  others, 
whose  minds  are  unprepared  to  weigh  the  force  of  an  appeal 
to. the  deeper  instincts  of  the  soul,  it  may  be  necessary 
to  begin  with  the  proof  of  facts  and  the  genuineness  of 
writings. 

At  the  same  time,  the  recommendation  to  the  reader 
is,  to  open  his  mind  to  both  kinds  of  argument ;  and 
especially  to  keep  in  view  the  practical  nature  of  the 
study  upon  which  he  enters.  If  a  book  of  the  Bible 
is  being  examined,  it  is  a  most  desirable  thing  that  we 
should  not  content  ourselves  with  a  mere  critical  inquiry 
into  the  ai’guments  for  its  date,  authorship,  and  place  in 
Scripture,  but  that  we  study  the  matter  of  the  book 
itself.  Difficulties  of  language  and  form  may  be  often  seen 
to  be  very  much  smaller  than  they  appeared  at  first,  when 
they  are  viewed  in  the  light  of  the  truth  taught  and 
the  spiritual  value  of  the  whole  work.  A  cursory  ex¬ 
amination  of  critical  objections  to  such  a  book,  e.y.,  as  Jonah 
in  the  Old  Testament,  may  shake  belief  in  its  authority, 
but  a  thoughtful  and  earnest  study  of  the  practical 
meaning  and  aim  of  the  book,  will  show  that  it  not 
only  has  Divine  authority,  but  holds  one  of  the  most 
important  places  in  Scripture,  which  is  borne  out  by 
the  pointed  reference  to  it  in  our  Lord’s  discourses.  We 
must  read  the  Bible,  not  in  the  spirit  of  a  disputant,  but 
in  the  spirit  of  one  who  is  seeking  first  and  most  for  truth 
unto  salvation;  then  the  external  evidences  will  be  like  the 
wall  around  the  city,  and  the  internal  evidences  will  be  like 
the  treasures  that  are  contained  within  those  walls,  which 
by  their  inestimable  value  compel  us  to  hold  them  fast 

We  will  now  conclude  this  primer  with  a  few  prac¬ 
tical  suggestions,  for  the  guidance  of  those  who  are 
students  of  the  evidences. 


PEACTICAL  SUGGESTIONS. 


75 


I.  Lot/  us  suppose  the  reader  to  be  one  of  limited  oppor¬ 
tunities  of  study,  and  unprepared  for  any  prolonged  intel¬ 
lectual  effort.  A  plan  of  progressive  study  may  be  useful 
to  such. 

The  first  thing  necessary  is  to  obtain  a  clear  concep¬ 
tion  of  the  nature  of  the  arguments  for  Christianity.  It 
should  be  understood  that  a  great  dea,l  which  is  objected 
to  the  teaching  of  the  Bible  would  be  equally  an  objection 
to  any  religion.  The  existence  of  God  should  be  regarded 
as  a  subject  quite  distinct  from  the  claims  of  Christianity. 
As  it  is  difficult  for  one  who  is  untrained  in  argument 
to  deal  with  such  a  subject  without  some  preparatory 
study,  we  should  recommend  that  the  Theistic  portion  of 
the  argument  be  deferred. 

The  three  most  easily  comprehended  departments  of 
Christian  evidence  are  the  evidence  for  The  authority  of 
Scripture.,  that  for  The  truth  and  faithfulness  of  the  Gospels, 
and  that  for  The  adaptatioi  f  of  Christianity  to  the  wants  of 
humanity. 

Let  the  reader  distinctly  set  before  him  what  the 
questions  are  which  he  mu  it  be  prepared,  as  far  as  possible, 
to  answer.  As  e.g.  with  i/’eference  to  Scripture — How  do 
we  know  that  the  books  which  are  now  collected  together 
in  the  Bible  were  written  by  those  whose  names  are  at¬ 
tached  to  them  ?  How  do  we  know  that  they  who  wrote 
them  were  writing  witX  Divine  authority  ?  How  do  we 
know  that  in  the  course  of  transmission  the  words  have 
not  been  materially  chai^  ^ed  ? 

We  should  recommend  on  such  a  subject  a  careful 
study  of  such  a  work  k,s  Dr.  Angus’s  “  Handbook  of  the 
Bible.” 

As  to  the  Gospeis,  the  two  principal  subjects  to  be 
dealt  with  are — (i  j  The  evidence  for  the  date  of  the  narratives. 
This  may  be  gathered  from  almost  any  work  on  Christian 
evidences■^  -as  that  by  Dr.  Kennedy,  “The  Gospels:  their 
Age  and  Authorship  ”  (price,  75  c.),  or  the  same  author’s 


76 


PJllMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EYIDENCE. 

“  Popular  Handbook,”  part  ii.,  “  Christianity.”  (ii.)  The 
evidence  for  the  miracles.  The  subject  of  miracles  can  be 
studied  in  the  works  of  Prebendary  Row — “  The  Jesus  of 
the  Gospels,”  “  The  Supernatural  in  the  New  Testament ;  ” 
also  in  the  works  of  Dr.  Kennedy — “  Popular  Handbook,” 
parts  i.  and  ii. 

But  we  cannot  recommend  the  untrained  reader  to  spend 
much  time  on  large  works  on  miracles,  as  the  possibility  of 
the  miraculous  is  not  now  denied  by  the  best  thinkers  of 
the  sceptical  school.  The  question,  therefore,  resolves  itself 
into  one  of  the  trustworthiness  of  the  Gospels. 

The  adaptation  of  Christianity  to  man  is  perhaps  best 
considered  historically.  A  brief  account  of  the  progress 
and  triumph  of  the  gospel  in  the  first  three  centuries 
prepares  the  mind  for  dealing  with  the  objections  of  such 
men  as  the  German  Strauss  and  the  French  Renan.  Let 
the  reader  grasp  the  leading  argument.  The  triumph  of 
the  gospel  was  due  to  its  inherent  'p^,wer.  It  was  not 
assisted  by  external  circumstances. 

The  little  work  by  Thomas  Cooper,  “The  Bridge  of 
History  over  the  Gulf  of  Time”  (12mo),  forms  a  suitable 
introduction  to  the  historical  argument. 

When  the/aG^5  are  studied,  then  advance  to  the pinnciples. 
Endeavour  to  distinguish  the  leading  features  of  Chris¬ 
tianity  in  its  practical  application  to  the  spiritual  wants  of 
men;  the  answers  which  it  gives  to  the  questions  of  the 
conscience,  of  the  individual  life,  of  the  destiny  of  the 
world  at  large.  Compare  the  characteristics  of  Christianity 
with  those  of  other  religions — as  e.g.  its  Monotheism  with 
the  Polytheistic  systems,  its  spirituality  with  their  super¬ 
stition,  its  records  with  their  sacred  books,  its  influence 
upon  its  adherents  with  the  state  of  the  heathen  world. 

We  should  recommend  the  mastery  of  some  Outline  of 
the  subject  of  evidences;  and  then  the  selection  of  a  par¬ 
ticular  branch  on  which  to  read  more  fully;  the  argument 
for  Theism  being  postponed  to  the  last. 


PLAN  OF  A  FURTHER  COURSE. 


77 


II.  We  will  now  suppose  that  the  reader  is  prepared  to 
give  close  and  diligent  study  to  a  course  of  works  on 
evidences,  and  that  he  is  able  to  grapple  with  the  more 
difficult  questions.  Let  him,  in  that  case,  after  the  perusal 
of  some  simple  outline,  like  the  present  primer,  then 
arrange  his  studies,  according  to  the  amount  of  time  he 
is  able  to  devote  to  them,  on  the  principle  of  a  consecutive 
line  of  argument. 

(i.)  There  is  a  God  whom  man  can  know  and  worship. 
The  subject  of  Theism  is  a  very  vast  one,  but  a  few  leading 
works  are  quite  sufficient  to  place  the  reader  in  possession 
of  the  main  arguments — Dr.  Kennedy’s  “Popular  Hand¬ 
book,”  part  i. ;  “The  Christian’s  Plea  against  Modern 
Unbelief,”  part  ii. ;  Gender’s  “Basis  of  Faith;”  Flint’s 
“  Theism  and  Anti-theistic  Theories.” 

(ii.)  There  is  a  revelation  of  God  to  man.  This  should 
be  made  a  principal  subject.  Study  the  Nature  of  revela¬ 
tion;  the  Mode  and  Method  in  which  the  revelation  must 
be  made  ;  the  argument  for  the  Canonical  authority  of  the 
Old  and  New  Testaments;  the  evidence  for  the  truth  of 
Scripture  in  the  Fulfilment  of  prophecy  ;  the  theories  of 
Modern  Critics^  such  as  the  mythical  theory  of  Strauss  ; 
the  attacks  made  on  the  Gospels  and  Acts  by  such  a  writer 
as  the  author  of  “Supernatural  Religion,” 

It  will  be  evident  that  the  demand  made  by  these 
subjects  is  great,  both  upon  time  and  thought.  But  if 
the  guidance  of  a  good  Handbook  is  followed,  it  will  be 
possible  to  combine  with  it  the  study  of  many  volumes 
which  take  up  particular  branches  of  the  evidence  without 
burdening  the  mind  too  much.  Prebendary  Row’s 
“  Bampton  Lectures,”  and  the  Rev.  G.  B.  Johnson’s  little 
work,  “The  Bible:  its  Structure  and  Development” 
and  also  the  works  of  Canon  Westcott,  on  the  “Canon 
of  Sci-ipture,”  or  any  other  similar  books,  will  furnish  the 
student  with  the  principal  details  of  the  argument.  It  is  a 
good  method,  however,  to  select  some  one  branch^  such  as 


78 


PRIMER  OF  CHRISTIAN  EVIDENCE. 

Propliecy,  oi  Miracles,  and  read  extensively,  for  a  time, 
upon  that  alone.  It  will  prepare  the  mind  for  mastering 
the  subtler  difficulties  in  all  branches. 

(iii.)  The  history  of  Christianity,  and  of  the  attaches  which 
have  been  made  upon  it,  prove  it  Divine.  It  should  be  the 
aim  of  the  student  to  become  thoroughly  acquainted  with 

(1 )  The  facts  of  the  first  century  of  Christianity ; 

(2)  The  proofs  to  be  derived  from  the  writings  of  the 
second  century  of  the  authority  of  Christianity ; 

(3)  The  history  of  unbelief  from  the  beginning  ; 

(4)  The  present  attitude  ot  the  opponents  of  our 
religion. 

The  boohs  already  referred  to  will  furnish  the  outlines. 
Farrar’s  “  Critical  History  of  Free  Thought  ”  is  a  valuable 
help  to  understand  the  conflicts  of  the  past.  The  press 
teems  with  publications  meeting  modern  attacks  upon  the 
Christian  positions. 

It  is  well,  however,  to  concentrate  attention  on  two  points 
— The  objections  of  the  scientific  school  to  the  supernatural 
in  the  Bible,  and  The  claim  of  natural  religion  to  be  regarded 
as  on  a  level  with  revealed  religion;  in  other  words,  the 
tendency  to  depreciate  specific  doctrinal  teaching.  On 
the  first  of  these  subjects  many  works  are  published.  Two 
may  be  selected — Rev.  T.  M.  Herbert’s  “  Realistic  As¬ 
sumptions  of  Modern  Science  examined  ”  (Macmillan, 
1880),  and  Rev.  Professor  Griffiths’  “  Faith  the  Life-root 
of  Science,  Philosophy,  Ethics,  and  Religion  ”  (Elliot 
Stock,  1882).  On  the  latter  subject,  it  is  sufficient  to 
remind  the  reader  that  Butler’s  great  work,  “The  Analogy 
of  Religion  to  the  Course  of  Nature,”  has  never  been 
answered,  and  that  he  cannot  do  better  than  master  the 
second  part,  “  On  Revealed  Religion,”  reading  with  it 
some  of  the  chapters  of  Paley’s  “  Evidences  ”  bearing  on 
the  same  subject,  chapters  i.  and  viii.  We  would  recom¬ 
mend  Newman’s  “  Grammar  of  Assent  ”  as  a  work  helpful 
in  showing  the  necessity  of  a  direct  revelation. 


CONCLUDING  KEMARKS. 


79 


In  conclusion,  let  the  student  bear  in  mind  that,  in  a 
large  amount  of  evidence,  such  as  he  will  have  to  review, 
the  systematic  arrangement  of  his  reading  is  of  the  utmost 
importance.  Some  of  the  larger  works  are  sadly  deficient 
in  this  respect,  and  give  the  reader  unnecessary  trouble. 
Paley’s  great  work,  full  as  it  is  of  information,  lacks 
system.  But  it  is  quite  possible  to  supply  this  defect 
by  orderly  method  in  our  studies. 

Make  some  systematic  work  the  foundation. 

Clearly  distinguish  the  different  branches  of  the  argu¬ 
ment. 

In  selecting  works  to  read,  let  them  be  as  much  as 
possible  those  which  deal  with  definite  subjects. 

Keep  the  abstract  apart  from  the  historical. 

Arrange  details  by  means  of  principles. 

Do  not  burden  the  memory  with  minute  and  unim¬ 
portant  matters,  while  the  main  subjects  are  unstudied. 

Advance  from  the  simple  to  the  difficult.  Then  the 
sense  of  mastery  will  give  confidence,  and  the  consciousness 
of  progress  will  encourage  effort. 

Whenever  the  mind  is  itself  perplexed  and  troubled  with 
doubt,  endeavour  to  ascertain  what  the  doubt  is  in  its 
relation  to  the  whole  line  of  argument.  Put  it  in  its  true 
place,  and  it  will  often  v^anish  before  a  comprehensive 
survey  of  the  line  of  evidence. 

The  cumulative  effect  of  tbe  systematic  study  of 
Christian  evidence  is  so  great,  that  isolated  difficulties  are 
lost  in  the  general  assurance  of  “  the  certainty  of  those 
things  in  wJiich  we  have  been  instructed.^* 


We  append  to  this  text-book  the  following  pages  from  the 
excellent  little  treatise  of  Rev.  W.  Benham,  B.D.,  “  How  to 
Teach  the  Old  Testament.”  because  it  furnishes  a  text  for 
some  lessons  in  the  second  year  of  the  course  of  the  Assembly 
iN’ormal  Union.  For  particulars  concerning  this  course  of  study 
for  Sunday-school  teachers,  address  Rev.  A.  E.  Dunning,  FTo.  1 
Somerset  Street,  Boston,  Mass.;  or,  Rev.  J.  L.  Hurlbut,  D.D., 
Ho.  805  Broadway,  New  York. 


HOW  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


81 


HOW  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


1. 

THE  BIBLE  AS  THE  DIVINE  INTEBPRETATION  OE  HISTORY. 

Let  us  first  consider  the  Bible  as  the  teacher  of  true  historical 
principles.  The  teacher  in  other  departments  of  his  work  has 
to  do  with  history.  Tlie  Bible  offers  him  principles  by  which 
he  can  examine  and  judge  of  the  history  of  nations  and  men. 
And,  having  so  examined  and  judged,  he  will  be  able  to  con¬ 
vey  the  lessons  he  has  learned  even  to  minds  of  tender  years. 

History  is  the  highest  and  noblest  of  all  sciences.  It  is  also 
one  of  tlie  most  difficult.  Man  lived  history.  It  is  a  record  of 
himself.  “  Each  new  fact  in  each  man’s  life,”  says  a  profound 
thinker,  “flashes  a  light  on  what  great  bodies  of  men  have 
done,  and  the  crises  of  his  life  reflect  crises  of  nations.” 

It  will  hardly  be  necessary  to  tell  my  readers  that  history  is 
not  a  more  collection  of  names  and  dates.  It  should  enable  us 
to  see  men  themselves  as  they  lived  in  the  past,  their  thoughts, 
hopes,  struggles,  sorrows,  joys.  Then  it  becomes  of  all  studies 
the  most  valuable,  fiir  higher  than  any  other,  for  the  purposes 
of  moral  instruction.  We  have  already  said  that  the  heart  is 
more  easily  moved  by  incident  than  by  abstract  propositions. 
In  other  sciences  we  learn  facts  and  principles,  in  history  we 
see  men  — we  see  life.  Great  deeds  nre  done  by  beings  like 
ourselves,  and  the  heroes  of  the  past  leave  to  all  who  follow 
after  them  the  legacy  of  their  bright  example.  Without  dis¬ 
cussing  at  any  length  the  various  theories  of  history  which 
have  been  put  forth  by  philosophers,  we  may  assert  three  pro¬ 
positions  :  — 

1.  History  shows  us  how  powerful  nature  has  been  to  affect 
the  welfare  and  destinies  of  man. 


82 


now  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


2.  It  shows  US  also  how  man  has  been  able  to  control  and 
modify  the  powers  of  nature. 

3.  And  it  shows  how  God,  the  Creator  of  all  things,  has  laid 
His  hand  upon  them  both,  and  still  conj^'ols  them. 

Take  the  lirst  of  these.  We  all  know  how  climate,  food, 
soil,  affect  man.  To  a  great  extent  they  cause  the  differences 
which  charactei'ize  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth,  differences  of 
size,  form,  feature,  of  habits  and  customs,  even  of  morals  and 
religion.  The}^  prompt  emigration,  indicate  the  employments 
of  the  people,  fix  the  localities  of  cities. 

But  this  only  accounts  for  a  portion  of  what  we  see  in  the 
world.  Man  is  not  a  mere  creature  of  circumstances ;  he  would 
not  be  man  else,  he  Avould  be  no  bettor  tlian  a  tree  or  a  stone. 
Let  him  be  placed  where  he  will,  he  at  once  asserts  his  lordship 
over  nature  by  bidding  it  serve  his  ends.  And  this  brings  us 
to  our  third  proposition.  He  who  asserts  His  lordship  over  man 
by  declaring  that  the  earth  is  His  and  Ho  made  it,  is  God.  As 
a  wise  German  philosopher  *  writes :  Without  the  knowledge 
tliat  there  is  a  God  regulating  the  course  of  human  destiny  by 
His  all-ruling  Providence,  by  His  saving  and  redeeming  power, 
the  history  of  the  world  would  be  a  labyrinth  without  an  out¬ 
let —  a  confused  jfile  of  ages  buried  upon  ages  —  a  mighty  tra¬ 
gedy  without  a  right  beginning  or  a  right  ending.” 

I  believe  that,  the  more  the  Bible  is  studied,  the  more  what 
has  been  stated  will  be  found  its  philosophy  of  history.  It  is 
expressed  in  the  words,  “  The  earth  is  the  Lord’s  and  the  fulness 
thereof.”  Man  placed  in  the  earth  to  replenish  that  earth  and 
subdue  it,  and  God  guiding  him  with  the  end  always  in  view 
of  restoring  him  to  his  original  perfection  in  the  world  to 
come. 

Let  us  see  what  is  God’s  method  of  interpretation.  The 
Bible  gives  no  elaborate  chronology  or  annals  of  the  nations  of 
the  world.  There  are,  it  is  true,  occasional  notices  of  the  pro¬ 
gress  of  other  nations,  but  they  are  incidental  to  the  one  great 
purpose  of  God’s  progressive  revelation  of  himself  to  fallen  man. 
From  the  first  we  never  lose  sight  of  the  Church  in  which  He 
set  up  His  witness  of  Himself,  as  a  means  to  enlighten  the  whole 

1  Schlegel. 


now  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


8e3 


world.  That  Church  was  at  first  consecrated  in  a  sino’le  fam- 
ily,  gradually  it  widened  into  a  nation.  We  see  indeed  con¬ 
tinually  God-fearing  men  outside  that  Church,  proofs  that  His 
light  was  enlightening  them  also;  but  the  visible  tokens  of 
his  presence  were  with  the  chosen  race  until  the  fulness  of 
the  time  was  come.  That  chosen  nation  was  God’s  instru¬ 
ment  by  which  He  proved  His  lordship  over  all  the  nations. 
Even  as  Christ  raised  Lazarus  from  the  dead  to  prove 
Himself  the  Resurrection  and  the  Idfe  of  the  world,  so  God 
wrought  miracles  and  signs  in  Israel  as  visible  tokens  that 
He  guides  all  nations  and  is  Lord  of  their  destinies.  It  is 
written  in  tlie  Psalm,  “He  made  a  covenant  with  Jacob, 
and  gave  Israel  a  law  which  He  commanded  our  forefathers 
to  teach  their  children”  (Ps.  Ixxviii.  5).  We  —  reading 
this  in  the  liglit  of  the  New  Testament,  remembering  that 
we  are  “  no  more  strangers  and  foreigners,  but  fellow-citi- 
zens  with  the  saints  and  of  the  household  of  God”  (Eph.  ii.  19) 
—  we  are  able  —  nay,  we  are  bound  —  to  adopt  the  Psalmist’s 
words  to  ourselves,  and  to  say,  “  He  made  a  covenant  with 
England,  and  He  gave  England  a  law.”  And  we  look  upon  the 
history  of  France,  or  Germany,  or  Russia,  and  we  find  in  the 
Old  Testament  how  God  would  have  us  judge  of  such  a  his¬ 
tory,  that  there  is  no  kingdom  or  nation  on  earth  which  He 
sees  not,  and  claims  not  as  His  own.  Everywhere,  as  of  old. 
Ho  “loveth  righteousness  and  hateth  iniquity”  (Ps.  xlv.  7) ; 
“  is  merciful  and  gracious,  long-suffering,  and  abundant  in 
goodness  and  truth,  keeping  mercy  for  thousands,  forgiving  in¬ 
iquity  and  transgression  and  sin,  and  by  no  means  clearing  the 
guilty”  (Exod.  xxxiv.  G,  7).  The  history  of  Israel  gives  the 
interpretation  to  all  history,  and  a  man  reads  the  annals  of  that 
nation  as  given  in  the  Old  Testament  to  little  purpose  who  does 
not  see,  by  their  help,  tlie  liand  of  God  laid  upon  all  nations. 


84 


HOW  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


II. 

THE  OLD  TESTAMENT  CONSIDERED  AS  A  PREPARATION  FOR 

THE  CHRISTIAN  CIIURCIL 

§  1.  THE  CHURCH  OF  THE  PATRIARCHS. 

I  SHALL  endeavor  in  the  present  chapter  to  give  a  detailed 
scheme  of  the  history  of  the  Chnrch  of  God  from  the  begin¬ 
ning,  as  the  Bible  brings  it  before  ns.  The  Biblical  history 
of  the  Creation  is  the  history  of  the  beginning  of  the  earth 
considered  as  the  abode  of  man.  Man  is  described  to  ns  in  his 
original  state,  the  state  in  which  God  was  well  pleased  with 
him  ;  then  we  have  the  fall  and  expulsion  from  Paradise  (i.-iii.). 
The  descendants  of  Cain  developed  a  premature  and  corrupt 
civilization;  the  children  of  Seth  called  themselves  by  the  name 
of  the  Lord  (Gen.  iv.  26,  margin'),  i.  e.  they  acknowledged  the 
Lord  as  their  God  in  contrast  with  the  rest  of  the  world.  Here 
then  we  have  the  Visible  Church. 

This  Chnrch  continues,  but  is  corrupted  by  mingling  with 
the  world  (v.,  vi.  1-8).  God’s  judgment  falls  on  it,  but  the 
Church  is  preserved  in  the  fiinily  of  Noah;  he  offers  sacrifice 
on  coming  forth  from  the  ark,  and  God  renews  His  covenant 
with  him. 

Then  we  have  notices  of  the  rise  of  the  great  nations  of  the 
world  (Gen.  x.)  ;  and  in  the  history  of  Babel  we  see  an  attempt 
at  a  godless  unity,  an  attempt  renewed  in  succeeding  ages  in 
the  world’s  histoiy,  and  each  attempt  in  turn  brought  to  con¬ 
fusion.  The  progress  of  the  Church  of  God  continues  in  the 
family  of  Shem,  and  the  call  of  Abraham  is  the  beginning  of 
an  organized  polity,  more  full  and  definite  than  we  have  had 
before.  But  a  sign  that  God’s  kingdom  is  not  confined  to  one 


now  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


85 


family,  but  is  wide  as  tlio  world,  is  seen  in  Melchizedels,  King 
of  Salem  (and  therefore  in  all  probability  a  Jebnsite),  and 
priest  of  the  INIost  High  God,  Possessor  of  heaven  and  earth 
(Gen.  xiv.  18-24). 

In  the  solemn  renewal  of  the  covenant  with  Abraham,  God’s 
revelation  is  clearer  than  that  to  Koah.  He  opens  to  the  Patri¬ 
arch  a  vision  of  the  future,  as  yet  indeed  but  slight,  j^et  fuller 
than  has  yet  been  made  known  (Gen.  xv.). 

Abraham’s  obedience  to  God’s  command  to  offer  up  Isaac 
was  the  culminating  point  of  his  ffiith  and  trust.  It  completed 
his  self-surrender  to  God  (Gen.  xxii.).  Compare  with  it  Heb. 
xi,  17-19.  On  the  death  of  his  Avife,  his  unfailing  trust  in  the 
fulfilment  of  God’s  promise  is  seen  in  his  refusal  to  mingle 
her  dust  Avith  that  of  the  people  around.  She  shall  be  buried, 
and  he  Avith  her,  apart  and  alone.  The  blessing  to  the  whole 
Avorld  shall  come  by  the  Church  refusing  to  conform  to  the 
Avorld. 

The  coAmnant  AA'ith  Abraham  was  rencAved  to  Isaac,  but  his 
name  does  not  come  A^ery  prominently  before  us.  In  the  days 
of  Jacob  and  his  sons  Ave  are  brouo-ht  into  view  of  the  ancient 

O 

monarchy  of  Egypt.  Of  that  monarchy,  too,  God  reveals  Him¬ 
self  the  Lord  and  King,  guiding  it  in  His  love  and  care,  yet 
always  keeping  the  Church  distinct  and  apart  from  its  idola¬ 
tries.  Tlie  Church  and  covenant  are  no  longer  confined  to 
one  man,  as  in  the  case  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob;  for  all 
Jacob’s  sons  are  recognized  as  the  people  of  the  Lord,  and 
called  by  the  distinctive  name  of  Israel.  In  the  contest  between 
Moses  as  the  representative  of  His  peoiffe  and  Pharaoh  the 
opposer  and  blasphemer  of  the  Lord,  we  have  a  figure  of  the 
great  battle  betAveen  Light  and  Darkness  which  the  history  of 
the  Church  still  presents. 

In  the  wilderness  we  have  the  delivering  of  the  written  law, 
the  establishment  of  a  priesthood  for  the  vicarious  offering  of 
sacrifice,  and  of  a  visible  mercy -seat  in  a  Tabernacle  where 
God  especially  promised  to  bo  found  of  His  people.  The  Tab¬ 
ernacle  was  carried  Jibout  Avith  the  moving  liost  in  the  Avilder- 
ness,  and  on  the  settlement  of  the  nation  in  Canaan  was  set  up 
in  Shiloh. 


86 


HOW  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMEJ^T. 


The  period  between  the  exodus  and  the  entry  into  Canaan 
falls  into  four  distinct  periods  :  — 

(ci)  The  march  to  Sinai  and  encampment  there  (Ex.  xv.- 
Num.  X.  32). 

(6)  The  advance  toward  Canaan  (ISTum.  x.  33-xiv.). 

(c)  The  retreat  and  thirty-eight  years’  wandering  (Num. 
xv.-xix.), 

(d)  The  final  advance  to  the  Jordan  (Num.  xx.,  xxi.) 

Of  the  period  of  the  forty  years’  wandering  we  know  almost 
nothing ;  there  are  a  few  ej^isodes  of  deep  interest,  such  as  the 
rebellion  of  Korah  (Num.  xvi.)  and  the  history  of  Balaam 
(Num.  xxii.-xxiv.,  xxxi.  1-8).  But  we  see  that  all  these  long 
years  Moses  was  patiently  organizing  the  people  under  the 
direction  of  God,  so  that  whereas  they  were  little  better  than  a 
horde  of  savages  when  they  left  Egypt,  they  were  marshalled 
and  arranged  in  regular  order  when  they  drew  near  to  the 
Jordan. 

The  conquest  of  Canaan  is  narrated  in  the  Book  of  Joshua. 
The  kings  of  the  south  were  defeated  at  the  battle  of  Makke- 
dah,  and  of  the  north  at  the  waters  of  Merom  (ch.  i.-xii.). 
Then  the  land  was  divided  among  the  tribes  (xiii.-xxii.) ;  after 
which  Joshua,  having  convened  the  tribes*  solemnly  charged 
them  to  remember  that  tliey  held  the  land  as  tenants  under 
God.  Then  he  died  in  peace,  with  the  promise  from  them  that 
they  would  follow  his  exhortations. 

In  the  period  covered  by  the  Book  of  Judges  we  see  the  na¬ 
tion  in  its  early  days  often  giving  itself  to  violence  and  sin,  but 
never  losing  the  witness  of  God  which  had  been  committed  to  it. 
The  tribes  were  sometimes  at  war,  not  merely  with  foreign 
enemies,  but  with  one  another.  The  war  with  Jabin  marks  the 
last  attempt  of  the  old  inhabitants  to  repossess  themselves  of 
the  country ;  after  that  time  we  hear  little  more  of  them.  The 
last  remnant,  the  Jebusites,  were  dispossessed  of  Jerusalem  by 
David  (2  Sam.  v.) 

As  the  country  became  more  settled,  there  was  an  evident 
tendency  to  monarchy.  Moses  had  antieipated  and  provided 
for  this  (Dent.  xvii.  14-end).  Abimclech’s  attempt,  for  a  while 
successful,  marks  this  tendency.  But  it  failed  partly  through 


HOW  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


87 


the  godless  cliaracter  of  the  man  and  his  attempt,  partly  from 
its  prematiireness.  But  by  the  time  the  Book  of  Samuel  opens 
unity  was  so  far  attained  that  Eli  the  priest  was  also  judge  of 
the  whole  people,  and  the  same  office  was  filled  by  Samuel. 

§  2.  THE  CHUKCH  UNDER  THE  MONARCHY. 

The  song  of  Hannah,  the  mother  of  Samuel,  is  a  song  of  the 
coming  monarchy  (1  Sam.  ii.  1-10).  It  clearly  regards  that 
monarchy  as  on  its  way,  and  for  the  first  time  speaks  of  God 
as  “  the  Lord  of  hosts.”  The  First  Book  of  Samuel  is  therefore 
sometimes  called  also  truly  “  the  First  Book  of  the  Kings.”  The 
orderly  rule  of  Samuel  and  his  rescue  of  the  nation  from  ruin 
after  the  fall  of  Shiloh  made  the  people  more  eager  than  ever 
for  a  king  in  order  to  preserve  their  unity.  They  sinned  indeed 
in  not  referring  the  matter  to  God,  in  forgetting  that  He 
was  the  true  Lord  of  the  nation ;  but  He  announced  that  He 
would  grant  their  wish,  yet  all  the  while  would  rule  them  him¬ 
self  So  the  monarchy  began,  and  with  it  began  also  the  period 
of  the  prophets.  Moses,  as  we  know,  had  been  a  prophet;  but 
with  Samuel  began  a  regular  prophetic  order,  and  we  begin  to 
read  of  “the  sons  of  prophets  ”  (1  Sam.  x.  10,  etc.).  Thus  we 
see  the  prophetic  order  was  established  side  by  side  with  the 
royal,  and  the  student  will  find  constantly  that  the  prophet 
was  the  Divine  check  against  tyranny  and  wrong  on  the  part  of 
the  king. 

The  teacher  must  remember  that  now  we  begin  to  have  two, 
and  sometimes  more,  portions  of  the  Bible  running  side  by  side. 
We  have  a  continuous  narrative  in  the  Books  of  Samuel  and 
Kings,  and  from  the  death  of  Saul  we  have  also  the  Books  of 
Chronicles.  But  also  we  have  the  Book  of  Psalms  to  illustrate 
the  history  of  David.  The  teacher  will  find  it  always  an  inter¬ 
esting  subject  with  his  pupils,  when  reading  the  history  of  Da¬ 
vid,  to  illustrate  continually  from  the  Psalms. 

A  contrast  to  the  great  empires  of  antiquity,  where  a  man 
built  a  strong  city  and  then  proceeded  to  tyrannize  over  and 
enslave  his  fellow-men  around,  was  the  history  of  Jerusalem. 
The  people  of  Israel  emerged  from  slavery  to  bo  a  race  of  free¬ 
men.  Their  education  was  carried  on  in  the  wilderness,  and 


88 


HOW  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


in  the  fields  and  Pastures  of  Palestine,  until  they  became  an 
orderly  nation  and  kingdom.  Then,  and  not  until  then,  David 
took  Jerusalem  as  the  centre  and  citadel  of  that  free  kingdom, 
and  set  up  the  ark  of  God  in  the  midst,  the  sign  that  God  was 
the  Ruler  and  King  of  the  people.  And  then  we  have  his  de¬ 
sire  to  build  a  temple,  not  (it  is  true)  granted  to  him,  but  rec¬ 
ognized  and  blessed  by  God,  who  opens  to  him  a  vision  of  the 
greatness  of  the  kingdom  of  David  which  shall  be  established 
forever  (2  Sam.  vii.). 


§  3.  THE  CHURCH  OF  THE  DIVIDED  KINGDOM. 

The  teacher  will  find  a  very  valuable  table  of  the  kings  of 
the  two  kingdoms  in  the  “  Aids  to  Bible  Students,”  p.  115.  This 
table  also  contains  notices  of  the  contemporary  history  of  the 
world.  I  add  here  to  what  the  reader  will  find  in  that  table  the 
passages  of  Holy  Scripture,  where  the  histories  of  the  respec¬ 


tive  kings  will  be  found. 

B.  c. 

977.  ReLoboam,  1  Kings  xii.  1-24,  xiv. 

21-31;  2  Cbron.  x.-xii. 

959.  Abijam,  IKingsxv.  1-8;  2  Cbron. 

xiii. 

956.  Asa,  1  Kings  xv.  8-24;  2  Cbron. 

xiv. -xvi. 


916.  Jebosbapbat,  2  Cbron.  xvii.-xx.; 
1  Kings  xxii.  41-49. 


892.  Jeboram,  2  Cbron.  xxi. 

885.  Abaziab,  2  Cbron.  xxii.  1-10. 

884.  Atbaliab,  2  Kings  xi.;  2  Cbron. 

xxii.  10,  xxiii.  1-15. 

878.  Joasb,  2  Kings  xii.;  2  Cbron. 
xxiv. 

838.  Amaziab,  2  Kings  xlv.  1-20;  2 
Cbron.  xxv. 


B.  C. 

977.  Jeroboam,  1  Kings  xii.  20-xiv.  20. 


956.  Nadab,  1  Kings  xv.  25-31. 

954.  Baasba,  1  Kings  xv.  27-xvi.  7. 
932.  Elab,  1  Kings  xvi.  8-10. 

931.  Zimri,  1  Kings  xvi.  9-20. 

929.  Omri,  1  Kings  xvi.  21-28. 

918.  Abab,  1  Kings  xvi.  29,  xxii.  40. 

897.  Abaziab,  1  Kings  xxii.  51-end; 
2  Kings  i. 

896.  Jeboram,  2  Kings  ii.-ix.  26. 


884.  Jebu,  2  Kings  ix..  x. 


856.  Jeboabaz,  2  Kings  xlii.  1-9. 

839.  Jeboasb,  2  Kings  xiii.  10-xiv.  16. 


HOW  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


89 


B.  C. 


B.  C. 


809.  Uzziali  or  Azariah,  2  Kings  xv. 
1-7;  2  Chron.  xxvi.;  Joel. 


823.  Jeroboam,  ii.;  2  Kings  xiv.  23-29; 
Amos;  Hosea.  Interruption 
of  ten  years. 


772.  Zechariah,  2  Kings  xv.  8-12. 
771.  Sballum,  2  Kings  xv.  13-16. 
771.  Menaliem,  2  Kings  xv.  15-22. 
760.  Pekahiali,  2  Kings  xv.  23-26. 
768.  Pekab,  2  Kings  xv.  27-31. 


757.  Jotham,  2  Kings  xv.  32-38;  2 
Chron.  xxvii.;  Micah. 

742.  Ahaz,  2  Kings  xvi.;  2  Chron. 
xxviii.;  Isaiah  vii.,  viii. 

726.  Hezekiah,  2  Chron.  xxix.-xxxii.;  730.  Hoshea,  2  Kings  xvii. 
Isaiah  ix.-xxxix. 

G97.  Manasseh,  2  Chron.  xxxiii.  1-20. 

642.  Amon,  2  Chron.  xxxiii.  21-end. 

640.  Josiah,  2  Chron.  xxxiv.,  xxxv.; 

2  Kings  xxiii.  1-30;  Habakkuk. 

609.  Jehoahaz,  2  Kings  xxiii.  30-34  ; 

Jer.  xxii.  11, 12. 

609.  Jehoiakim,  2  Kings  xxiii.  34, 
xxiv.  1-6;  2  Chron.  xxxvi.  5-8. 

598.  Jehoiachin,  2  Kings  xxiv.  8-16; 

XXV.  27-30;  Jer.  xxii.  24-30. 

597.  Zedekiah,  2  Kings  xxiv.  17-end, 

XXV.  1-21. 


Tlie  toacliei’  will  observe  at  a  glance  that  the  kings  of  J udah 
are  much  more  fully  dealt  with  in  the  Chronicles  than  in  the 
Kings,  whilst  the  latter  book  gives  us  much  fuller  information 
than  the  former  about  the  northern  kingdom,  —  Israel.  Closer 
examination  will  show  why  this  is  so;  the  Books  of  Kings  may 
be  called  a  political  history,  the  Books  of  Chronicles  an  eccle¬ 
siastical,  and  speaking  therefore  much  of  the  Temple  at  Jerusa¬ 
lem,  which  was  within  the  kingdom  of  J  udah.  In  a  nation  where 
the  State  and  Church  were  so  closely  united  and  intertwined, 
it  was  indeed  a  matter  of  course  that  each  book  shall  say  much 
concerning  both ;  still  the  Books  of  Chronicles,  certainly  writ¬ 
ten  by  one  of  the  tribe  of  Levi,  form  the  source  from  which  we 
gain  most  information  concerning  the  Temple  worship  and  the 
priesthood  during  the  days  of  the  monarchy.  The  teacher, 
therefore,  will  be  able  to  gather  some  very  beairtiful  lessons 
concerning  pirblic  worship  and  the  ritual  of  Divine  worship 
from  these  books. 


90 


HOW  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


As  the  Book  of  Psalms  throws  light  on  the  life  of  David,  so 
do  the  Books  of  the  Prophets  upon  the  history  of  the  monarchy. 
In  our  blessed  Lord’s  parable  of  “The  Wicked  Husbandmen,” 
He  shows  how  the  prophets  were  sent  to  bring  the  erring  na¬ 
tion  to  obedience  to  their  king  (Matt.  xxi.  33-41). 

There  is  one  point  which  should  not  bo  passed  over  even  in 
this  short  treatise.  It  is  the  fulness  of  the  prophetic  power 
which  was  brought  to  influence  the  northern  kingdom.  As  if  to 
compensate  for  the  loss  of  the  regular  priesthood  and  Temple, 
God  gave  some  of  the  greatest  of  the  prophets  to  the  kingdom 
of  Israel.  Elijah  and  Elisha  were  almost  entirely  ministers  to 
that  kingdom.  We  hear  of  no  word  of  Elijah  to  Judah,  if  we 
except  the  posthumous  letter  referred  to  in  2  Chron.  xxi.  12. 
Jonah  had  also  a  mission  to  the  kingdom  of  Israel,  though  it  is 
not  detailed  in  Scripture  (2  Kings  xiv.  25). 

§  4,  THE  CHURCH  IN  THE  TIME  OP  THE  CAPTIVITY. 

The  direct  historical  narrative  breaks  off  with  the  Book  of 
Kings,  and  we  have  to  piece  it  together  by  means  of  the  proph¬ 
ets  Jeremiah,  Ezekiel,  and  Daniel,  and  of  the  Assyrian  and 
Babylonian  history.’  The  following  slight  table  of  the  events 
of  the  seventy  years’  captivity  and  the  return  will,  it  is  hoped, 
be  a  help  to  the  teacher :  — 

G06.  Judali  under  JeLoiakan  made  tributary  by  Nebuchadnezzar.  Many 
Jews,  chiefly  of  the  richer  classes,  carried  to  Babylon  ;  among  them 
Ezekiel,  Daniel,  Hananiah,  Azariah,  and  Mishael.  (2  Kings  xxiv.  IM  ; 
Dan.  i.  These  passages  should  also  be  read :  Jer.  xxvi.,  xxvii.  1-11 ; 
XXXV.,  xxxvi.) 

598.  Jehoiachin  reigns  three  months.  Jerusalem  taken  by  the  Chaldeans. 
Jehoiachin  in  exile.  (Jer.  xxii.  1-10.) 

597.  Zedekiah  reigns  as  vassal  of  the  Chaldeans  for  eleven  years.  (2  Kings 
xxiv.  17-20). 

594.  Ezekiel  receives  his  call  as  prophet,  by  the  river  Chebar.  (Ezekiel  i.) 
The  first  twenty-four  chapters  of  this  prophet  relate  to  the  exiles  in 
Babylon  who  were  carried  away  at  the  first  deportation.  Then  he  has 
several  chapters  concerning  foreign  nations,  xxv.-xxxii. 

589.  Zedekiah  applies  to  Egypt  for  help,  whereupon  the  Chaldeans  immedi¬ 
ately  besiege  Jerusalem  again. 

1  There  is  a  very  good  sketeli  of  the  histoiy  of  the  great  empires  in 
the  Aids,  pp.  96-109. —  The  Bible  and  the  Monuments. 


HOW  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


91 


586.  Jerusalem  is  destroyed,  and  the  king  taken  prisoner.  (2  Kings  xxv. ;  2 
Chron.  xxxvi. ;  Jer.  lii.  ;  Ezek.  xxxiii.  21.)  The  greater  part  of  tlie 
people  carried  away  to  Babylon.  Jeremiah  writes  the  Lamentations. 
Gedaliah  is  ai^pointed  governor  by  Nebuchadnezzar,  but  is  killed  by 
Ishmael.  Many  of  the  jjeople  flee  into  Egypt,  and  take  Jeremiah  with 
them.  (2  Kings  xxv.  22-26 ;  Jer.  xliii.) 

581.  Ezekiel’s  vision  of  the  new  Temple  (Ezek.  xl.-xlviii.) 

580.  Nebuchadnezzar  sets  up  his  golden  image  in  the  plain  of  Dura.  (Dan.  iii.) 

570.  Nebuchadnezzar’s  madness.  (Dan.  iv.  22,  27,  29,  33.) 

564.  Ills  recovery. 

562.  His  death.  Accession  of  his  son  Evil-merodach.  Jehoiachin  taken  out 
of  prison.  (2  Kings  xxv.  27). 

560.  Evil-merodach  slain ;  succeeded  by  Nergal-sharezer  the  Bab-Mag,  i.  e. 
chief  of  the  Magi  (see  Jer.  xxxix.  3,  13),  called  Neriglissar  in  Jose¬ 
phus.  lie  married  Nebuchadnezzar’s  daughter. 

556.  Nergal-sharezer  succeeded  by  his  son  Laborosoarchod,  a  child,  who  is 
murdered  within  a  year. 

555.  Nabonadius  succeeds  (called  by  Herodotus,  Labynetus),  He  appears  to 
have  married  a  daughter  of  Nebuchadnezzar.  Having  associated  with 
himself  Belshazzar  as  joint-king,  he  marched  against  Cyrus  king  of 
Persia,  who  was  at  war  Avith  Croesus  king  of  Lydia,  leaving  Belshazzar 
in  charge  of  Babylon.  Cyrus  routed  Nabonadius  (who  thereupon  shut 
himself  up  in  Borsippa)  and  marched  against  Babylon. 

538.  Belshazzar’s  impious  feast,  interrupted  by  God’s  awful  message.  Baby¬ 
lon  taken  by  Cyrus,  who  committed  the  rule  of  the  city  to  Darius  the 
Mede.  (Dan.  v.) 

538.  Daniel  cast  into  the  lions’  den.  (Dan.  vi.) 

536.  Death  of  Darius.  Cyrus  ruler  at  Babylon.  His  decree  restoring  the 
Jetvs,  an  answer  to  Daniel’s  prayer.  (Dan.  ix.) 

§  5.  THE  CHURCH  FROM  THE  RESTORATION  TO  THE  END  OF 
THE  OLD  TESTAMENT  HISTORY. 

536.  Return  of  the  exiles  from  Jerusalem  under  Zerubbabel.  (Ezra  i.-iii. ;  2 
Chron.  xxxvi.  22,  23).  The  rebuilding  of  the  Temple  begins. 

529.  Cyrus  dies,  and  is  suceceded  by  his  son  Cambyses,  called  in  Ezra  iv.  6 
Ahasuerus  (Persian  and  Sanskrit  name  for  “  king  ”).  The  adversaries 
of  the  Church  try  to  stop  the  building  of  the  Temple.  (Ezra  iv.  6.) 

521.  Death  of  Cambyses.  Accession  of  a  Magian  impostor  who  pretended  to 
he  the  younger  son  of  Cyrus,  Smerdis  ;  called  in  Ezra  iv.  7  Artaxerxes, 
L  e.  “  great  tvarrior.”  The  enemies  repeat  their  attempt,  and  the 
Temple  works  are  stopped. 

521.  The  false  Smerdis  is  slain,  and  succeeded  by  Darius  Hystaspis.  (Ezraiv. 
24  ;  V.,  vi.)  Under  him  the  Temple  works  are  recommenced. 

517.  Temple  completed.  (Ezra  vi.) 

490.  Darius  invades  Greece  ;  but  is  defeated  at  the  great  battle  of  Marathon. 

485.  Xerxes,  Avho  succeeds  his  father  Darius,  is  the  Ahasuerus  o4'  the  Book  of 
Esther.  A  great  feast  Avhich  ho  gives  to  his  nobles  leads  to  the  deposi¬ 
tion  of  Queen  Vashti.  He  invades  Greece,  but  is  defeated  at  the  bat¬ 
tles  of  Salamis  and  Platsea.  On  his  return  Esther  is  made  queen. 


92  HOW  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 

473.  Haman’s  plot.  Iiistitiition  of  tlie  Feast  of  Purim. 

4G4.  Artaxerxes  Longimaims  succeeds  liis  father  Xerxes. 

457.  Ezra  goes  up  from  Babylon,  under  commission  from  Artaxerxes,  with  a 
large  company  of  JcAvs.  (Ezra  vii.,  viii.)  His  reformation  of  religion 
avid  manners.  (Ezra  ix.,  x.) 

444.  Nehemiah  goes  up  to  Jerusalem,  sent  by  the  same  king,  as  Tirshatha,  or 
“  governor.”  He  repairs  the  broken  walls,  notwithstanding  the  cow¬ 
ardice  and  sloth  of  the  Jews  and  the  spite  of  their  enemies.  (Neh. 
i.-vii.)  Solemn  assembly  of  the  people,  and  high  festival.  The  cove¬ 
nant  renewed.  (Neh.  viii.-xii.)  His  reformation. 

430.  With  the  prophet  Malachi  the  Old  Testament  Scriptures  close. 

§  6.  THE  CHURCH  FROM  THE  CLOSE  OF  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT 
SCRIPTURES  UNTIL  THE  COMING  OP  CHRIST. 

This  division  of  the  liistory  of  the  ancient  Church  of  God 
does  not  fall  strictly  within  the  history  of  the  Old  Testament. 
We  gather  it  partly  from  the  writings  of  Josephus,  partly  from 
the  Apocrypha,  partly  from  profane  authors.  All  that  can  be 
done  here  is  to  name  the  jirincipal  epochs. 

The  Jews  continued  under  the  rule  of  Persia  as  long  as  that 
monarchy  lasted.  The  Samaritans  being  refused  communion 
with  them,  Manasseh  built  a  rival  temple  on  Mount  Gerizim, 
B.  c.  409. 

In  B.  c.  333,  Alexander  the  Great,  king  of  Macedon,  con¬ 
quered  the  Persian  king  Darius,  and  the  Persian  monarchy  was 
at  an  end.  This  event  was  the  means  of  spreading  the  Greek 
literature  and  language  all  through  the  East,  and  thus  a  great 
help  was  prepared  for  the  spread  of  the  Gospel.  He  founded 
the  city  of  Alexandria,  and  under  his  sanction  gre:it  multitudes 
of  Jews  took  up  their  abode  there.  In  after  years,  when  many 
of  them  had  forgotten  their  native  tongue,  the  Old  Testament 
was  translated  into  Greek  for  their  use;  this  is  the  translation 
called  the  Septuaginf.  When  Alexander  died,  in  323,  his  con¬ 
quests  were  divided  between  four  generals.  Palestine  lay  be¬ 
tween  the  kingdoms  of  Syria  and  Egypt,  and  became  a  battle¬ 
field  of  these  rival  kingdoms,  being  seized  again  and  again, 
first  by  one  power,  then  by  the  other. 

The  tyranny  and  cruelties  of  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  who  be¬ 
came  king  of  Syria  B.  C.  176,  led  to  the  rising  of  the  Jews  under 
the  brave  Maccabees,  and  Palestine  again  became  independent 


now  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


93 


B.  c.  141,  nboiitthe  time  when  Rome,  by  the  destruction  of  her 
rival,  Carthage,  and  the  conquest  of  Corinth,  was  consolidating 
her  colossal  power  round  the  Mediterranean  Sea.  Thus  began, 
at  Jerusalem,  the  dynasty  of  the  Asmonoeans.  It  lasted  till 
B.  c.  70,  in  which  year  a  dispute  between  Hyrcanus  and  Aris- 
tobulus,  the  great-grandsons  of  Simon  the  brother  of  Judas 
Maccabaeus,  led  them  to  appeal  to  the  Roman  general  romi:)ey, 
who  had  been  achieving  great  victories  in  the  East.  He  came 
and  made  Judma  subject  to  the  Roman  power.  Then  came 
the  civil  wars  of  Rome,  and  at  the  battle  of  Philippi,  il  c.  41,  the 
Republic  was  overthrown,  and  the  Empire  took  its  place  under 
Augustus  Caesar.  Two  years  before,  Herod,  an  Edomite,  had 
succeeded  in  persuading  the  Romans  to  make  him  king  of  Judaea. 
During  his  reign,  and  under  the  Empire  of  Augustus,  our 
Blessed  Saviour  was  born. 


94 


HOW  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


N. 


III. 

THE  OLD  TESTAMENT  CONSIDERED  AS  THE  PREPARATION  FOR 

CHRIST. 

I  HAVE  spoken  of  the  Bible  as  the  interpreter  of  history ;  I  turn 
now  to  a  subject  never  to  be  lost  sight  of  by  the  teacher.  We 
are  told  (to  quote  the  Revised  Yersion)  in  Heb.  i.  1  that  God 
spake  of  old  “  unto  the  fathers  in  the  prophets,  by  divers  por¬ 
tions  and  in  divers  manners.”  Always,  as  the  New  Testament 
teaches  us,  the  eternal  purpose  of  God  was  before  Him  in  the 
revelation  of  the  Old  Testament,  of  gathering  together  all 
things  in  Christ.  The  revelation  was  “by  divers  portions,”  it 
was  not  all  given  at  once.  The  light  became  clearer  as  the 
world  moved  on.  Of  the  “  divers  manners,”  too,  we  shall  see 
as  we  read.  But  though  the  revelation  was  progressive,  there 
is  enough  to  show  us  the  unchanging  character  of  God’s  pur¬ 
pose  from  the  beginning. 

1.  Sacrifice.  —  Let  us  start  with  these  words  from  Rev. 
xiii.  8,  “The  Lamb  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world.” 
Before  Adam  sinned,  the  Lamb  had  been  slain  in  the  eternal 
counsels  of  God.  It  was  no  afterthought  following  that  sin; 
it  was  an  essential  part  of  the  very  nature  and  character  of 
God.  Here  we  stand  to-day  between  two  eternities.  We  look 
back  upon  the  past,  and  that  is  all  mystery :  the  eternal  exist¬ 
ence  of  God,  the  mutual  love  of  the  Father  and  the  Son.  We 
look  into  the  future,  and  see  ourselves  in  the  great  eternity, 
and  all  is  solemn  mystery  there.  And  between  them  the  un¬ 
speakable  Love  has  placed  us  to  adore  and  believe ;  to  believe 
that  there  is  and  has  ever  been,  by  some  divine  necessity  be¬ 
yond  our  comprehension,  a  combination  of  sacrifice  and  power. 
This  serves  to  explain  the  fact  that  wherever  we  meet  with  any 
sort  of  religion  in  the  wide  world,  there  is  sure  to  be  sacrifice 
in  some  form.  The  miserable  and  ghastly  form  which  it  takes 


HOW  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


95 


among  the  African  tribes,  who  slay  their  fellow-creatures  be¬ 
fore  their  idols,  is  a  caricature  proving  that  there  must  have 
been  a  true  form  of  sacrifice  at  first  which  came  down  from 
heaven.  The  fiilse  forms  are  found  in  the  heathen  religions ; 
the  true  in  Holy  Scripture. 

2.  Abel’s  Sacrifice.  —  The  first  direct  mention  of  sacri¬ 
fice  is  that  of  the  sons  of  Adam  (Gen.  iv.)  Cain’s  oflering  was 
rejected ;  Abel’s  was  accepted.  Whether  the  difference  lay  in 
the  characters  of  the  two  men,  or  in  the  nature  of  their  offer¬ 
ing,  we  are  not  told ;  but  as  one  reads  the  rest  of  the  Bible  it 
seems  almost  clear  that  it  was,  in  part  at  least,  the  second  of 
the  two.  The  brothers  stood  in  a  world  which  had  been  pol¬ 
luted  by  sin,  but  which  had  also  received  a  covenant  of  deliver¬ 
ance.  We  know  that  this  covenant  rested  on  the  Lamb  slain 
from  the  foundation  of  the  world,  though  not  yet  revealed  to 

•  the  world.  Their  lives,  like  the  life  of  every  man  born  into 
the  world,  lay  in  the  redemption  by  Christ.  This  was  the  law 
of  their  existence,  and  therefore  must  be  the  basis  of  their  wor¬ 
ship.  The  sacrifice  of  Abel’s  lamb  was  an  expression  of  this ; 
the  offering  of  fruits  was  not.  The  one,  but  not  the  other, 
imaged  the  Divine  Sufferer.  From  the  first  the  lamb  was  the 
standing  symbol  and  type  of  the  Redeemer. 

There  is  much  that  is  fearful  about  the  history  of  the  Fall,  — 
God’s  righteous  anger  —  man  driven  from  Eden  —  a  threaten- 
ing  glare  upon  his  path  from  the  flaming  sword  behind  him. 
But  a  figure  comes  between.  The  shadow  of  the  slain  Lamb 
falls  along  the  lengthening  way ;  and  in  that  shadow  man 
crosses  the  wilderness  of  this  world  to  a  nobler  Eden  than  he 
leaves. 

3.  Extension  of  the  Law  of  Sacrifice.  —  The  teacher 
studying  the  records  of  God’s  revelation  of  Himself  will  not 
fail  to  note  how,  whenever  He  renewed,  or  extended,  or  en¬ 
larged  His  covenant  with  the  patriarchs,  there  was  always  some 
extension  of  the  law  of  sacrifice.  Thus,  after  the  Flood,  when 
He  renewed  His  covenant  with  Noah,  wo  are  told  that  Noah 
offered  of  every  clean  beast  and  of  every  clean  fowl.  So  when 
God  promised  Abraham  the  land  of  Canaan,  there  was  a  spe¬ 
cial  solemn  sacrifice  (Gen.  xv.). 


96 


HOW  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


4.  The  Significance  of  the  Sacrifice  of  Isaac.— 
The  great  chapter  which  relates  to  the  sacrifice  of  Isaac  stands 
midway  in  the  world’s  liistory  between  the  sacrifice  of  Abel 
and  those  appointed  under  ]\Ioses —  midway  in  meaning,  midway 
in  time.  For  the  sacrifice  of  Al^el  expressed  the  ground  of 
man’s  hope,  the  slain  Lamb ;  but  did  not  explain.  Abel  brought 
the  firstling  of  his  flock,  and  was  accepted  for  his  obedience 
and  trust;  and  that  was  all.  But  in  the  case  of  Abraham  and 
his  son  we  have  the  very  image  of  the  great  Offering  to  come.' 
The  well-beloved  son,  the  representative  of  the  whole  race,  is 
voluntarily  offered  by  the  father, — voluntarily  offers  liimself. 
“They  went  both  of  them  together,”  as  we  are  told  twice 
(verses  6  and  8) ;  one  in  purpose,  one  in  mind.  The  father 
binds  the  son ;  the  son  unresistingly  suffers  himself  to  be  bound. 
The  type  is  complete.  No  type  afterwards  added  anything  to 
the  fulness  of  this  sublime  prophecy-in-action.  The  sacrifices 
of  Moses  taught  the  people  more  concerning  the  benefits  of  sac- 
I’ifice,  gave  fuller  information  on  details ;  but  the  truth  itself 
that  the  Lamb  was  slain  from  all  eternity  was  never  more  fully 
foreshadowed  and  exemplified  than  in  the  sacrifice  of  Isaac. 

We  may,  I  believe,  put  it  this  way.  In  Isaac,  Abraham 
saw  the  day  of  Christ  (John  viii.  56).  Moses  showed  how  the 
sacrifice  of  Christ  would  be  applied.  Just  as  in  the  New  Tes¬ 
tament  the  Gospels  tell  us  how  Christ  died,  and  the  Ej^istles  tell 
how  the  sacrifice  is  applied  to  the  heart  and  the  conscience; 
each  has  its  work,  and  one  completes  the  other. 

Space  would  fail  me  in  trying  to  bring  before  the  teacher 
all  the  points  of  this  Divine  history;  I  can  only  just  indicate 
some.  (1)  Abraham  learned  that  his  sacrifice  would  of  itself 
not  avail ;  it  would  not  have  satisfied  his  craving  to  serve  God. 
He  learned  that  all  human  sacrifice  could  be  only  typical. 
Man  could  provide  no  fitting  offering,  and  therefore  the  Lord 
provided.  (2)  Isaac  looked  round  for  a  victim.  There  was 
none  (Cf.  Isa.  Ixiii.  5).  (3)  They  went  together  and  alone; 

the  servants  could  not  enter.  No  mortal  can  enter  into  the 
secret  work  of  the  Father  and  the  Son  (Cf.  John  xvi.  32 ;  Isa. 

^  The  chapter  is  one  of  the  Proper  Lessons  for  Good  Friday. 


HOW  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


97 


Ixiii.  3).  (4)  Compare  Gen.  xxii.  6  witli  John  xx  17.  (5) 

Read  the  commentaiy  supplied  by  Ileb.  xi.  17-19. 

5.  The  Paschal  Lamb.  — Tlie  sacred  history  plainly  in¬ 
dicates  all  through  the  Book  of  Genesis  that  it  is  moving  stead¬ 
ily  to  a  “far-off  great  event.”  The  whole  tenor  of  the  prom¬ 
ises  bade  the  receivers  look  forward.  The  captivity  in  Egypt 
marks  an  epoch  in  the  history  of  the  Chureh.  It  was  not  only 
a  type  of  the  battle  of  the  Church  with  sin,  but  it  was  a  pre¬ 
paration  of  the  family  to  become  a  nation.  When  the  time 
came  for  the  development  of  this  nation  by  tlieir  leaving  the 
land  of  bondage,  the  great  sacrifice  of  the  Pasclial  Lamb  was 
ordained.  That  was  not  only  a  sacrifice,  it  was  also  a  feast ;  not 
only  a  type  of  the  offering  of  Christ,  but  the  beginning  of  a 
new- state  of  things.  The  lamb,  after  being  slain,  was  eaten. 
No  part  was  burnt  on  an  altar.  Only  that  which  the  worship¬ 
pers  could  not  eat  was  to  be  burnt  with  fire.  The  animal  was 
to  be  dressed  whole,  not  even  a  bone  was  to  be  broken.  There 
is  (if  one  may  say  so)  a  lavish  abundance  of  emphasis  in  the 
way  that  all  this  is  laid  down,  all  indieating  a  truth  so  precious 
that  words  are  too  weak  to  express  it,  viz.,  that  in  Ilis  Coven¬ 
ant  of  Redemption  God  gives  us  in  Christ  Ilis  best,  and  gives 
it  all.  He  keeps  nothing  back,  and  it  is  all  for  us.  It  is  not 
'merely  a  propitiation  for  guilt,  it  is  an  eternal  life  and  joy. 
Our  redeemed  human  nature  partakes  of  the  whole  nature  of 
an  Incarnate  God. 

And  when  we  read  the  discourses  of  our  Lord  in  St.  John 
xiii.-xvi.,  with  these  ideas  in  mind,  the  history  of  the  Passover 
throws  light  upon  them  which  was  not  there  before.  Those 
discourses  are  the  Divine  interpretation  of  the  central  act  of  the 
Old  Testament,  out  of  which  arose  the  eentral  act  of  the  New. 
The  Passover  of  the  Christian  Church  was  the  death  and  the 
rising  again  of  the  ancient  rite.  The  typical  Passover  van¬ 
ished;  but  the  Christian  Eucharist  arose  at  the  same  instant, 
and  its  forms  still  gave  forth  the  same  lesson  which  the  forms 
of  the  elder  rite  had  taught,  but  spiritualized  and  glorified  like 
Ezekiel’s  temple. 

The  sacrifice  was  all  for  the  benefit  of  those  who  were 
tiiuglit  to  offer  it.  The  Body  and  Blood  are  given  for  us. 


98 


now  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


“  Take  this  and  divide  it  among  yourselves,”  Christ  says  of  the 
blood  which  is  the  life. 

But,  above  all,  let  us  again  recur  to  the  great  fact  that  this 
last  Passover  shows  so  clearly  that  the  doctrine  of  Communion 
was  a  main  constituent  in  the  teaching  of  the  Paschal  feast. 
We  have  seen  already  how  sacrifice  and  covenant  go  together, 
how  all  through  God’s  teachings  it  was  shown  that  human  life 
is  redeemed  life.  Traced  uj^wards  to  its  final  source  we  see  this 
redeemed  life  issuing  from  the  throne  of  God,  from  the  Lamb 
slain  from  the  foundation  of  the  world ;  springing  from  that 
sacrifice  at  first  and  depending  upon  it  still.  We  have  no  ex¬ 
istence  apart  from  it.  Who  does  not  see  this  through  all  the 
discourses  on  the  Passover  night  ?  “I  am  the  True  Vine,” 
“Except  ye  abide  in  Me  ye  are  nothing.”  Whatsoever  of 
divine  and  supernatural  power  is  expressed  by  the  words,  “  This 
is  My  Blood  of  the  New  Testament  ”  7nust  be  circulating  ever¬ 
more  through  our  redeemed  existence.  For  the  whole  Church, 
and  for  each  member  of  the  Church,  it  is  the  same  —  the  Sac¬ 
rifice,  and  the  Communion  upon  the  sacrifice,  not  one  without 
the  other;  the  sacrifice  and  the  feast  make  one  Passover  solem¬ 
nity.  The  one  without  the  other  is  nothing  at  all,  in  the  two 
together  we  have  the  Gospel.  The  Jewish  Passover  and  the 
Christian  Eucharist  brought  all  hidden  lights  into  view.  The 
Jewish  and  the  Christian  rites  joined  hands  under  the  shadow  of 
the  Cross,  both  bearing  witness  to  Him  of  whom  eaeh  testified. 
The  one  vanished  away  in  the  very  hands  of  Him  who  ordained 
it,  but  did  not  vanish  without  seeing  Him  hand  it  on  in  fairer 
colors  to  its  newly-found  sister.  And  therefore,  when  we  read 
in  the  Old  Testament  of  the  great  Jewish  Passover,  we  add  in 
our  minds  with  thanksgiving  the  apostle’s  joyous  comment, 
“  Christ  our  Passover  is  sacrificed  for  us,  therefore  let  us  keep 
the  feast.” 

6.  The  Scapeg'oat.  —  The  Paschal  Lamb  was  the  great¬ 
est  type  of  the  Old  Covenant.  Second  to  it  came  that  of  Scape¬ 
goat,  of  which  a  full  account  will  bo  found  in  Lev.  xvi.  Once 
more  let  us  note  at  the  outset  that  the  ordinances  delivered  by 
Moses  were  not  a  bundle  of  forms  without  coherence;  there 
was  a  great  unity  in  all  that  complicated  arrangement  of  cere- 


HOW  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


99 


monies,  and  that  unity  was  the  Divine  Sacrifice.  The  Lamb 
^lain  from  eternity  meets  us  at  every  turn.  The  prism  is 
manv-sided,  but  the  liofht  is  one. 

What  was  the  further  truth  conveyed  by  the  scapegoat? 

The  Passover  lamb  was  the  bond  of  the  covenant,  the  sign 
of  union  with  God.  But  the  people  were  continually  breaking 
the  covenant.  Every  act  of  sin  broke  it.  The  scapegoat  ex¬ 
plains  how  the  breach  was  to  be  healed. 

On  the  great  Day  of  Atonement  (lOlh  Tisri)  two  goats 
were  chosen,  as  near  as  could  be  of  the  same  size  and  appear¬ 
ance  ;  one  was  to  be  for  the  Lord,  the  other  for  the  scapegoat. 
The  Hebrew  word  so  rendered  is  so  unusual  that  the  transla¬ 
tors  felt  doubtful  of  the  meaning,  and  therefore  left  it  in  the 
margin,  as  will  be  seen  in  reference  Bibles  —  “  Azazel.”  It  is 
now  agreed  by  Hebrew  scholars  that  the  word  “  Azazel  ”  means 
“  for  the  complete  sending  away.” 

The  first  goat  was  to  be  slain  and  burnt  as  a  sin-offering, 
and  the  full  details  of  the  offering  are  of  deep  and  solemn 
interest.  The  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  it  will  be  remembered, 
interprets  the  high  priest’s  entry  into  the  holiest  place  with  the 
blood  of  the  slain  goat,  to  be  a  type  of  the  entry  of  Christ  into 
the  highest  heaven  with  His  own  blood  of  Atonement  (Heb.  ix.). 
So  far  all  is  clear.  But  the  parallel  to  tlie  work  of  Christ 
would  not  be  completed  by  the  death  of  the  slain  goat,  because 
Christ  not  only  died  but  rose  again.  To  prefigure  this,  the 
other  goat  “  for  Azazel,”  was  brought  out  alive  after  the  other 
Iiad  been  slain,  the  sins  of  the  people  were  solemnly  laid  upon  it 
“  for  the  complete  sending  away,”  and  the  goat  went  away  into 
a  land  not  inhabited.  Even  so  the  resurrection  of  Clirist  was 
for  our  justification,  for  the  complete  putting  away  of  sin. 

The  scapegoat,  then,  sets  forth  that  under  the  covenant  of 
redemption,  and  through  the  power  of  sacrifice,  the  actual  sins 
of  men,  confessed  and  repented  of,  are  not  allowed  to  stand  be¬ 
tween  the  sinner  and  God,  they  are  removed  completely.  Such 
an  institution  was  necessary  because,  though  men  are  in  cove¬ 
nant  with  God,  they  are  continually  breaking  it,  till  oven  tin; 
covenant  itself  seems  a  failure.  The  scapegoat  bears  witness 
in  a  beautiful  figure  tliat  the  One  Sacrifice  is  continually  avail- 


100 


now  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


ing  to  removo  the  barriers  which  sin  is  always  building  up  in 
spite  of  man’s  redeemed  condition.  “The  blood  of  Jesus 
Christ  cleanseth  us  from  .all  sin,”  and  the  teaching  of  the  scape¬ 
goat  is  Repentance  and  Restoration. 

7.  The  Serpent  lifted  up.  —  There  is  one  other  Old  Tes¬ 
tament  type  of  which  I  must  speak  at  some  length,  different 
fiom  the  foregoing.  Those  that  we  have  had  have  been  ordi¬ 
nances  in  continual  and  regular  order,  a  witness,  year  after 
j  ear,  of  Him  that  was  to  come.  But  there  were  also  types 
arising  out  of  accidental  circumstances,  produced  out  of  those 
circumstances,  and  then  disappearing  altogether.  Two  such 
stand  above  all  others,  the  manna  and  the  lifting  up  of  the  serpent, 
both  in  the  wilderness.  Of  each  of  these  our  Lord  declared 
that  they  were  types  of  Himself  (John  iii.  14,  15;  vi.  32-58). 
Noav,  in  each  case,  we  have  the  same  principle  stated,  namely, 
that  from  Christ  himself  proceed  the  spiritual  energies  of 
the  regenerate  life  of  those  whom  He  has  redeemed.  In  the 
one  case  tlie  leading  idea  is  that  of  continual  support,  in 
the  other  that  of  remedy.  The  manna  represents  Christ  as  the 
spiritual  sustenance,  renewing  the  strength  of  His  fainting, 
sH-uggling  people.  The  uplifted  serpent  shows  us  Christ  cru¬ 
cified  as  the  spiritual  medicine  which  renews  their  health.  Food 
and  sustenance  are  not  enough.  The  life  and  health  of  the 
regenerate  soul  are  weakened  not  only  by  the  natural  outgo¬ 
ings  of  strength  which  follow  all  the  activities  of  created  iFfe. 
There  are  sicknesses  of  the  soul,  and  wounds  which  accompany 
e\  ery  state  of  strife  and  warfare.  For  the  plague  and  wounds 
of  sin  remedies  are  needed.  The  circumstances  which  led  to 
the  lifting  up  of  the  serpent  are  fiimiliar  to  us  all.  They  are 
recorded  in  Hum.  xxi.  The  people,  worn  out  with  long  jour- 
neying,  lost  heart,  and,  from  want  of  trust  in  Him  who  had 
done  so  much  for  them,  went  on  to  despise  the  food  which  He 
had  given  them.  So  it  is  still.  When  we  forget  what  God  has 
done  for  us  already,  we  go  on  to  disbelieve  that  He  is  doing 
anything  for  us  at  all.  We  see  no  grace  in  the  sacraments,  no 
spiritual  energies  at  work  for  our  guidance.  And  so  we  become 
exposed  to  the  danger  of  dark  unbelief,  the  true  fiery  serpent. 
From  the  beginning  of  the  Bible  to  the  very  end,  the  serpent 


HOW  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


101 


is  the  symbol  of  tlie  devil,  the  deceiver  and  false  accuser.  The 
devil  is  first  the  false  accuser  of  God.  He  puts  false  notions 
and  thoughts  of  God  into  our  minds,  and  blinds  us  to  the  per¬ 
ception  of  the  actual  gifts  and  graces  which  are  ours  from 
Christ.  And  so  as  Israel  sinned  after  the  manner  of  the  ser¬ 
pent’s  temptation,  they  suffered  by  the  serpent’s  bite.  They 
charged  God  with  not  caring  for  them,  and  they  had  bitterly  to 
learn  what  would  become  of  them  if  God  did  not  care  for  them, 
if  He  left  them  alone.  The  deadly  wound  of  the  serpent’s  bite 
jmralyzes  all  spiritual  life.  And  unbelief  in  our  own  spiritual 
privileges  destroys  all  power  of  action.  Then  came  God’s  rem¬ 
edy,  the  most  vivid  type  of  Christ’s  salvation  which  the  history 
of  the  wilderness  contains.  ‘‘  Not  to  condemn  the  world  but 
to  save,”  was  His  expression  of  the  object  of  His  mission  (John 
iii.  17).  The  uplifted  serpent  was  the  Restoration  of  Trust. 
For  it  represented  the  power  of  God  to  slay  the  serpent,  to  de¬ 
stroy  his  work,  to  destroy  the  severance  which  unbelief  had 
made  between  God  and  man  by  his  false  accusation.  Nay 
more,  it  represented  that  God  the  Redeemer  was  already  vic¬ 
tor  over  the  accuser,  was  present  to  heal  all  who,  from  what¬ 
ever  cause,  had  come  under  the  cruel  power  of  the  van¬ 
quished  enemy.  The  people  looked  up  at  the  image  of  sin 
fastened  to  the  tree,  and  their  trust  was  restored,  and  they 
lived  again. 

Christ  has  nailed  to  His  cross  all  fears  and  suspicions  of  God 
which  coward  conscience  has  begotten.  And  this  is  the  first 
type  in  Scripture  which  sets  forth  the  rnanner  of  the  Sacrifice 
to  which  we  turn  our  eyes  and  live. 

The  question  may  still  arise.  How  can  the  serpent,  of  all 
things,  be  a  type  of  Christ  ?  We  can  see  that  the  uplifting  of 
the  serpent  represents  the  crucifixion,  but  how  can  the  symbol 
of  the  devil  be  a  type  of  the  Saviour  ?  Wo  reply,  this  type  is 
intended  to  reveal  to  us  as  much  as  we  are  able  to  understand 
of  the  manner  in  which  the  sacrifice  of  Christ  heals  the  dis¬ 
eases  of  our  souls.  It  sets  forth  the  actual  doing  away  of  sin 
which  his  atonement  accomplishes.  He  who  knew  no  sin  “  was 
made  sin  for  us.”  He  “bore  our  sins  in  his  own  body  on  the 
tree.”  He  was  made  in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh,  just  as  that 


102 


HOW  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


which  Moses  lifted  np  was  made  in  the  likeness  of  the  destroy¬ 
ing  serpent.  So  when  the  Sinless  was  crucified,  sin  was  slain, 
Satan  was  vanquished,  the  serpent’s  head  bruised.  The  sight  of 
the  crucified  gives  us  power  to  put  away  our  mistrust  and  doubt 
and  despondency.  Christ  the  Conqueror  is  Christ  the  Healer. 

8.  Other  Types.  —  I  have  thought  it  well  to  treat  a  few 
of  the  great  types  at  length  as  examples  for  the  teacher.  I 
can  only  name  some  of  the  others,  leaving  him  to  work  them 
out  for  himself  Some  belong,  like  most  of  those  we  have  been 
considering,  to  the  organized  system  of  Old  Testament  ordi¬ 
nances.  Some  arise  out  of  particular  circumstances.  I  do  not 
think  I  can  do  better  than  transcribe  the  Table  of  Contents  of 
a  charming  little  book,  published  by  the  National  Society  for 
sixpence,  entitled  “  The  Types  and  their  Antitypes,”  by  Lady 
Mary  Herbert.  It  will  be  found  full  of  suggestions  to  the 
teacher.  Perhaps  it  will  be  well,  however,  to  say  a  word  of 
caution  here  against  being  too  finciful  and  making  compari¬ 
sons  out  of  mere  accidents.  In  the  case  of  the  types  we  have 
named,  we  have  divine  sanction  for  them.  So  we  have  for 
some  of  those  named  in  this  list;  e.  g.  as  regards  Eliakim  com¬ 
pare  Isaiah  xxii.  22  with  Rev.  iii.  7.  But  clearly,  if  the  teacher 
speaks  of  Samson  as  a  type  of  Christ  he  should  point  out  also 
the  contrast  as  well  as  the  difference.  In  both  cases  there  was 
the  love  of  the  people,  the  might,  and  self-sacrifice.  But  the 
wilfulness  and  self-indulgence  of  the  one  marred,  a  great  work ; 
the  perfect  holiness  of  the  other  completed  His  work. 


PAET  I. 

Holy  Men  oe  the  Old  Testament  —  Types  op  Christ. 


Abel 

Joshua 

Cyrus 

Melcbizedek 

Samson 

Eliakim 

Isaac 

David 

Jonah 

JosepL 

Solomon 

Zerubbabel 

Moses ;  his  life 

Elijah 

Joshua,  son  of 

“  his  office 

Job 

•Josedech 

PART  11. 

The  Typical  Events  op 

THE  Bible. 

The  Flood 

The  Taking  of  Jericho 

The  Burning  Bush 

The  Scarlet  Thread 

The  Brazen  Serpent 

The  Fall  of  Babylon 

The  Cities  of  Refuge 

The  Destruction  of  Jerusalem 

HOW  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


103 


PART  III. 


The  Mosaic,  a  Type  of  the  Christian  Dispensation. 


The  Temple 

The  Outer  Court 

The  Altar  of  Burnt  Offering 

The  Holy  Place 

The  Most  Holy  Place 

The  Ark  and  the  Mercy  Seat 

The  Veil 

The  High  Priest 

The  Saeriflees 


The  Feasts : 

i.  Passover 

ii.  First  Fruits 

iii.  Tabernacles 

The  Great  Day  of  Atonement 
The  Ceremonies 
The  Year  of  Jubilee. 

The  Sabbath 
The  Holy  City 


PART  IV. 

The  Two  Sacraments. 

Types  of  Baptism. 

Noah’s  Ark  The  Passage  of  Jordan 

The  Red  Sea  The  Cleansing  of  Naaman 

Circumcision 

Types  of  Holy  Communion. 

The  Tree  of  Life  The  Springing  Rock 

The  Bread  and  Wine  of  Melehizedek  The  Shewbread 
The  Wheat  with  Avhich  Joseph  fed  his  The  Barrel  of  Meal  and  Cruse  of 
Brethren  Oil 

The  Pasehal  Lamb  The  Bread  which  the  Angel  brought 

The  Manna  to  Elijah 

The  journeying  of  the  Israelites  from  Egypt  to  Canaan,  typical  of  the 
Christian’s  life  in  the  Church. 


And  I  will  quote  one  specimen  from  this  book,  the  chapter 
on  the  “High  Priest,”  as  showing  how  interesting  this  subject 
may  be  made. 


“The  High  Priest. 

“The  High  Priest  was  the  type  of  Christ,  our  Great  High 
Priest.  Heb.  iv.  14. 

“1.  He  was  anointed  to  the  Priesthood:  Christ  is  the 
anointed  one.  Ex.  xxix.  7 ;  Acts  iv.  27. 

“  2.  The  Priesthood  was  to  continue  in  the  family  of  Aaron, 
and  his  alone  :  Jesus  Christ  is  an  eternal  High  Priest.  Ex.  xl. 
15;  Heb.  vii.  25. 

“3.  The  High  Priest  entered  the  Most  Holy  Place  within 


104 


HOW  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


the  veil;  our  Iligli  Priest  Christ  Jesus  is  gone  up  into  Heaven. 
Lev.  xvi.  12;  Ileb.  viii.  1. 

“4.  The  High  Priest  only  entered  into  the  Holiest  once  a 
year:  Christ  having  made  atonement  for  us  entered  into 
Heaven.  Ex.  xxviii.  35  ;  Heb.  ix.  7,  11,  12. 

“  5.  The  High  Priest  made  atonement  for  the  people  :  Clirist 
for  us.  Lev.  xvi.  30;  Heb.  ix.  13,  14.” 

Here  is  one  other  passage  from  another  work,  somewhat 
more  full  and  elaborate,  “The  Figures  and  Types  of  tlie  Old 
Testament,”  by  the  Rev.  J.  R.  West  (Masters):  — 


“  The  Pillak  op  the  Cloud,  and  of  Fire. 

“  Although  as  soon  as  the  Israelites  had  been  baptized,  God 
led  them  into  the  wilderness  of  temptation,  yet  he  provided 
everything  needful  for  their  difficult  journey. 

“  First,  He  gave  them  the  Pillar  of  the  Cloud  and  of  Fire 
(Ex.  xiii.  21).  This  was  an  unerring  ^uide  which  would  lead 
them  day  by  day,  and  night  by  night,  till  they  should  arrive  at 
the  Promised  Land.  It  was  also  their  guard  for  protection,  as 
when  the  Egyptians  were  pursuing  them.  It  was  their  cover¬ 
ing  or  shade  in  the  daytime,  so  that  the  sun  could  not  smite 
them ;  and  it  was  their  light  in  the  night  season.  For  in  it 
was  the  abiding  presence  of  the  Loj'd  Himself. 

“  And  all  this  is  a  type  of  the  abiding  presence  of  the  Lord 
with  His  Church  now.  For  the  cloud  is  one  of  the  emblems 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  fire  ever  denotes  divinity.  And  the 
pillar  of  fire  was  also  the  overshadowing  cloud. 

“The  Lord  the  Holy  Ghost  is  now  come  down  to  guide,  and 
to  guard,  and  comfort,  and  enlighten  us,  as  we  travel  through 
the  wilderness  of  tins  world.  And  in  His  abiding  presence  is 
the  presence  also  of  our  Redeemer  and  Saviour. 

“  His  holy  guidance  and  godly  motions  if  we  humbly  follow. 
He  will  guide  and  lead  ns  safely,  till  we  reach  His  holy  habita¬ 
tion  in  the  true  felicity  of  the  everlasting  Canaan.  Then  we 
shall  sing  a  new  song  of  praise  with  more  understanding  to 
Him  ivlio  has  led  His  peoj)le  through  the  wilderness ^  for  His  mercy 
en  dureth  fore ;  er. 


HOW  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT.  105 

“But  compare  Ex.  xxiii.  20,  21,  with  Eph.  iv.  30,  and  Acts 
vii.  51.” 

But  the  types  are  by  no  means  the  only  method  by  which 
God  foretold  Christ  under  the  Old  Testament.  In  the  fullest 
sense  the  whole  of  the  Old  Testament  was  prophetic.  The 
chosen  people  were  always  bidden  to  look  forward  to  “Him 
that  should  come,”  not  only  in  the  set  prophecies,  but  in  God’s 
manifold  dealings. 

9.  The  Jewish  Monarchy  is  one  instance.  The  setting 
up  of  the  monarchy  would  lose  its  significance  if  we  forgot 
that  it  was  a  leading  up  to  the  Kingdom  of  Christ.  The  prom¬ 
ised  day  of  the  house  of  David  never  could  have  come  unless 
we  take  the  greater  kingdom  into  account.  Such  was  St.  Peter’s 
argument  in  Acts  ii.  30.  So  in  St.  Paul’s  first  recorded  ser¬ 
mon  notice  the  force  with  which  he  dwells  on  “  the  sure  mercies 
of  David  ”  (Acts  xiii.  34).  When  God  gave  David  the  kingdom, 
He  promised  to  befriend  Solomon,  and  He  said,  “I  will  be  to 
him  a  Father,  and  he  shall  be  to  me  a  son  ”  (2  Sam.  vii.  14). 
It  is  clear  that  the  words  refer  to  Solomon,  that  the  visible  kino^ 
was  under  the  care  of  the  Invisible.  But  we  feel  this  must 
have  meant  more  than  that  Solomon  should  reign  for  awhile 
and  die.  It  asserted  that  there  was  an  actual  relationship  be¬ 
tween  God  and  the  Jewish  king  and  nation.  They  did  not 
understand  how  this  could  be,  but  there  was  the  promise.  The 
writer  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews  shows  that  such  a  promise 
could  only  be  fulfilled  in  Christ,  who  was  the  flower  and  per¬ 
fection  of  the  Kingdom  of  David,  and  he  therefore  quotes  these 
words  and  declares  that  they  refer  to  Christ  (Ileb.  i.  5).  The 
same  truth  meets  us  all  through  the  history  of  the  monarchy. 
It  would  have  been  a  beginning  without  an  end  if  the  outward 
had  not  been  throughout  the  sign  of  the  coming  on  of  the 
Divine  and  Invisible.  And  this  is  the  key  to  Old  Testament 
prophecy;  not  a  fast-and-loose  way  of  making  words  mean 
anything,  but  the  sk’ict  interpretation  of  God’s  whole  system 
with  His  people. 

We  trace  a  progress  in  the  Divine  Revelation  as  we  pass 
through  the  Old  Testament.  First,  God  taught  Ilis  chosen  ones 


106 


HOW  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


to  believe  in  His  Unity.  It  was  one  of  the  truths  laid  hold  of 
by  Abraham,  who  believed  also  in  God’s  righteousness,  faithful¬ 
ness,  g)rovidence.  It  was  the  necessary  foundation  for  all  which 
followed.  He  taught  some,  too,  outside  the  chosen  people,  Mel- 
chizedek  and  Job  for  example.  He  gave  fuller  revelations  to 
Moses  than  to  Abraham,  and  delivered,  through  him,  a  written 
Laid.  “Moses  stands  in  history  the  Father  of  Legislation.” 
And  a  progress  in  knowledge  is  manifested  in  the  commentary 
upon  Exodus  found  in  the  Book  of  Deuteronomy.  In  him,  too, 
we  see  the  rise  of  the  Prophetic  order,  and  he  is  the  first  of  his- 
toriam.  The  prophetic  gift  grew  unto  the  days  of  Samuel,  the 
reformer  and  the  statesman,  who  “gathered  round  him  at 
Naioth,  where  his  own  house  was  situated,  a  number  of  young 
men  whom  he  trained  in  reading,  writing,  and  music.”  In  Da¬ 
vid,  the  Psalmist,  we  sec  a  further  progress.  His  contributions 
to  sacred  literature  were  the  means  of  conveying  fresh  light 
concerning  the  promised  Saviour,  as  in  Ps.  xl.  6-8,  a  distinct 
foreshadowing  of  the  Incarnation.  But  further,  the  Psalms  of 
David  mark  an  advance  in  spirituality ;  there  is  a  greater  ful¬ 
ness  and  depth  than  in  any  writings  before.  “  It  is  very  im¬ 
portant,”  it  has  been  well  said,  “that  the  Psalms  should  be 
studied  from  an  historical  point  of  view,  i.  e.  not  as  ideal  pat¬ 
terns  of  devotion  revealed  from  heaven,  irrespective  of  times 
and  circumstances,  but  as  actual  utterances  of  individual  piety 
under  a  dispensation  of  religion  which,  in  the  order  of  time, 
was  intended  to  prepare  for  the  higher  teachings  of  Christian¬ 
ity.  ...  If  they  be  regarded  as  voices  floating  in  the  air,  after 
coming  down  from  heaven,  and  not  as  expressions  of  thoughts 
and  feelings  gushing  up  from  the  depths  of  human  souls,  agi¬ 
tated  by  conflict,  their  nature  and  their  meaning  are  misappre¬ 
hended.”  Who  does  not  see  the  wondrous  moral  force  in  the 
Psalms  of  David  working  its  way  upwmrds  to  what  is  perfect! 
For  example,  in  the  fifty-first  Psalm,  where  the  most  appalling 
instance  of  backsliding  which  the  Old  Testament  contains 
gives  origin  to  the  most  touching  of  all  songs  of  repentance? 
The  plaintive  songs,  never,  even  in  the  deepest  distress,  without 
hope,  the  songs  of  grateful  adoration,  the  intercessory  (xx., 
cxxxii.,  cxliv.),  the  didactic  (xxxiv.),  not  to  speak  now  of  the 


HOW  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


107 


Prophetic,  are  all  marvellous  in  the  spiritual  insight  with  which 
God  has  endowed  the  writer. 

10.  The  Prophets.  —  Passing  over  the  writings  of  the 
philosopher,  Solomon,  who  began  his  teachings  with  inculcating 
that  “the  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  beginning  of  wisdom”  (Prov. 
i.  7),  we  come  to  the  Prophets.  The  teacher  will  find  the  trou¬ 
ble  he  will  take  in  analyzing  them  amply  rewarded  by  the  fresh 
streams  of  knowledge  that  he  will  open.  Fresh  revelations  are 
made  here  also;  the  clearer  vision  of  the  perfect  Kingdom 
grows  with  the  prophets,  experience  of  the  weakness  and  fail¬ 
ure  of  the  earthly  kings,  one  after  another.  But  above  all,  as 
Isaiah  secs  in  vision  his  nation  captive  and  cast  out  for  its  sin, 
he  sees  too,  with  a  light  and  a  glory  such  as  had  never  been 
vouchsafed  to  man  before,  that  the  Deliverer  too  must  enter 
with  boundless  sympathy  into  the  misery  of  the  outcasts,  must 
be  “despised  and  rejected  of  men,  a  man  of  sorrows  and  ac¬ 
quainted  with  grief”  (Isa.  liii.). 

And  never  do  the  prophets  lose  sight  of  the  comforting  but 
awful  and  solemnizing  truth  that  God  is  a  Being  with  whom 
men  have  to  do  every  hour,  who  created,  preserves,  rules  over 
them.  Faith  in  Him  is  an  absolute  necessity;  there  is  no  com¬ 
fort  or  help  to  be  gained  by  mere  speculations  about  Him,  nor 
by  poetical  imaginations.  Fo  poetry  can  be  of  use  except  it 
be  altogether  true.  The  whole  Old  Testament  is  full  of  the 
truth  that  the  Lord  is  King,  that  His  eyelids  try  the  children  of 
men.  There  is  always  growik  —  tha  past  is  never  obliterated, 
but  it  is  continually  reproduced  and  augmented.  The  progress 
is  full  of  memories,  Tut  fuller  of  hopes;  tells  the  meaning  of 
past  history,  but  tells  too  of  better  days  to  come,  higher  truth, 
purer  righteousness.  And  the  last  chapter  of  all  sees  in  the 
future  John  the  Baptist,  the  last  of  the  Prophets,  the  witness 
of  the  Incarnate  Lamb  of  God,  and  closes  with  words  which 
seem  to  gather  uj)  a.ll  the  past  books  into  a  few  burning  words; 
“  Remember  ye  the  law  of  Moses  my  servant,  which  I  com¬ 
manded  unto  him  in  Horeb  for  all  Israel,  with  the  statutes  and 
judgments.  Behold  I  will  send  you  Elijah  the  Prophet  before 
the  coming  of  the  great  and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord.  And  he 
shall  turn  the  heart  of  the  fathers  to  the  children,  and  the  heart 


108 


now  TO  TEACH  THE  OLD  TESTAMENT. 


of  the  children  to  their  hithers,  lest  I  come  and  smite  the  earth 
with  a  curse.” 

So  the  Old  Testament  ends.  It  was  our  schoolmaster,  or 
tutor,  to  bring  us  to  Christ;  and,  while  pointing  forward  to  de¬ 
liverance,  puts  prominently  forward  God’s  hatred  of  sin.  The 
last  words,  therefore,  are  characteristic  words.  There  is  surely 
a  touching  and  beautiful  significance  in  the  fact  (noted  by  Ben- 
gel)  that  when  Christ,  the  Mediator  of  the  New  Testament, 
opened  his  mouth  to  proclaim  the  law  of  Hie  Kingdom.  IJ  r 
opened  with  the  word  ‘^Blessed'"'  (Matt.  v.  3) 


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